Change Mage
by Illustre
Summary: The return of an unknown Fairy Tail guild member... But what's her past? And what's her connection to Laxus? GrayxOC, Tiny bit of NaLu... But then some CoLu... AU as it doesn't really follow any story arc. Bit dark.
1. Chapter 1

**So here goes... This is my first ever fan fiction of any sort.. First chapter is a bit short but I'll make up for it with the second... I hope you like it! Feedback/Reviews are definitely welcome... Eventual Nalu, Gray X OC... M rating just in case!**

 **I don't own Fairy Tail :/ but I came up with Amalie, so please don't copy her :)**

 _ **Chapter 1.**_

The day had dawned bright and blue, much to the pleasure of a certain blonde celestial mage as she skipped along the edge of the canal, humming happily to herself.

Team Natsu had returned late last night from a week long mission that had, surprisingly, cost very little in incidentals due to damage caused by the careless Natsu.

She paused out the front of the Fairy Tail Guild hall doors, smiling up at the sign, before pushed through them, dodging through the regular chaos of fights and flying furniture to perch herself up on a bar stool. "Good morning, Mirajane."

"Lucy! How are you?" Mirajane greeted her, mirroring Lucy's infectious smile. "I take it the mission went well?"

Lucy nodded. "Better than well - my share is actually covering my rent for once without me having to do a solo mission on the side!"

Mirajane giggled and slid a milkshake across the counter for the blonde.

"Shut up, ice queen! You wanna fight?!" Natsu's voice carried over the din.

Lucy didn't need to look to know the Fire Dragon Slayer was probably butting heads with Gray. Again.

"Buy a clue, flame brain."

 _Yep, definitely Gray._

She didn't have to turn around to guess the Ice Make wizard's probable state of undress. From all the time the team had spent together, Lucy knew the irritation in his voice meant he'd at least have lost his shirt by now.

Lucy met Mirajane's eternally serene gaze and rolled her eyes at the boys' antics. Some things never changed.

The doors of the guild burst open again, this time to make way for a large black horse. It slid to a stop just inside the archway and reared up with a screaming neigh.

Natsu and Gray stood a few feet away from it, frozen in place, mid punch.

The guild had turned deadly silent as everyone's attention fixed onto the intruder as they waited to see if this was another attack or one of their own returning.

Magical smoke swirled up and around the horse, enveloping it completely until it disappeared from view. It dissipated to reveal a battered girl with a halo of copper coloured hair. She was clad in a ripped purple ball gown, a wound clearly visible on her side and crusted with dried blood and dirt. They weren't her only injuries - her exposed shoulders and neck were marred with scrapes and bruises. A long katana hung sheathed over one of her shoulders, a quiver and bow over the other.

 _It's unusual, but not uncommon, for mages and wizards to carry weapons,_ Lucy reasoned with herself at the shock of seeing such items on the girl.

As the spell released the girl from its hold, she swayed forward on unsteady legs.

"Erza," the girl panted. "Is she here?"

Lucy wasn't familiar with the spell that had been used but it _felt_ like it required a huge amount of magic to cast. She guessed the girl had nearly run her power dry.

Gray moved forward and caught the girl as her legs gave out, hooking an arm behind her knees and pulling her to his chest.

"You smell like Christmas, " she whispered, looked up at him with half closed emerald green eyes. Her head rolled back as she lost consciousness.

 _Where had his shirt gone?_ He wondered absently as Mirajane hurried over to him and gently smoothed hair from the girl's face. She examined her with shock. "Oh my! Amalie?!"

Everyone stayed silent as Mirajane took control. "Natsu, get master. Elfman, I need fresh bandages and hot water. Gray, bring her to the infirmary. The rest of you... Just behave until I get back!"

Lucy stared at Mirajane and Gray's backs as they walked away. The guild burst into a flurry of questions and noise as everyone regained from their shock.

 _What had just happened?_ _Who was Amalie? How did Mirajane know her? How did Erza know her?_

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

"Master..." Natsu burst into the office, faltering as he saw Laxus sitting across from Makarov but pushing on anyway. "Some girl just turned up. Mira said to get you."

"What the fu..." Laxus glared at the intruder and stood up ready to throw him back out, but was interrupted by his grandfather.

"A girl?" Makarov pondered. "You'll have to be more specific, Natsu."

"Ugh... I dunno... Reddy hair. Bit shorter than me but about my age." He'd never been very good at descriptions, especially when it came to those of the human variety.

Makarov smiled broadly at Laxus. "It sounds like our Amalie has finally returned."

A rare, hopeful look briefly crossed Laxus' face as he grunted gruffly and shoved past Natsu to get out of the office.

"Infirmary..." he heard Natsu call from behind him.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.


	2. Chapter 2

**So... here goes nothing...**

 **Chapter 2.**

Gray set the girl down on the stark white infirmary bed; holding her up with one hand while he slid the weapons she adorned from her shoulders, before lowering her onto the pillows.

 _She could be interesting_ , he decided as he examined her sleeping face.

A small scar marked her bottom lip and ran down to the middle of her chin.

Another darked, jagged scar marked the space on the right side of her neck just up from the base of her throat.

 _Almost like someone had tried to cut her throat_.

"Mira... Who is she exactly?" _Curiosity killed the Exceed but to hell with it._

Mirajane hummed. "Amalie kind of comes and goes. She normally appears after she's fought with her sister, but never in this kind of state... Sera - her sister - isn't what you'd call stable."

He raised an eyebrow at Mira's response. It wasn't the answer he'd been looking for. "What's her magic?"

"No idea. She kind of dabbles and mainly just uses those," she responded, pointing to the discarded non-magical items on the floor. She giggled suddenly, as if remembering something. "You should ask about the paralysis spell when she wakes up."

 _Paralysis?_ Gray thought wonderingly before smirking at Mira. _That could make things entertaining with the pyro._

"Wha..." His next question was interrupted by Laxus slamming the infirmary door open.

"Oi, Mira. She awake?" the towering blonde Lightning Dragon Slayer demanded, not bothering to acknowledge Gray.

"You both need to leave," Mira responded, ignoring Laxus. "I need to get her dress off and you boys aren't helping!"

"Fine by me," Gray muttered, deliberately shoving past Laxus as he moved for the door. The larger man growled at him.

"Now, Laxus." Mira's words were firm and held an unspoken threat. He followed Gray out, slamming the door behind him.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Amalie's eyes opened slowly. Every part of she ached - a side effect from the prolonged use of the horse transformation spell she'd used to get here.

 _At least I made a grand entrance_ , she thought wryly. A smile crept to her lips as she remembered the looks of shock on her fellow Fairy Tail-ers faces.

"So you're awake."

The distinctly male tone made her turn her head in shock. A man stood there. A shirtless man with black hair and intense dark blue eyes.

Amalie sat up, wincing at the pain in her side as she looked down at her bandaged abdomen.

"Mirajane patched you up but your dress was ruined," he explained. He didn't move from where he stood.

 _Sera shot me,_ she remembered. _The stupid bitch actually shot me._

Her anger rose at the realisation she was only in underwear, clearly visible thanks to the sheet dropping when she'd sat up. She met the blue eyes that were gazing at her with a hardened glare.

"I can still kick your arse, perve."

In one smooth movement she threw the bed sheets at him and leapt from the bed to snatch up her katana from the pile of weapons near the door. She sunk into a crouch as she prepared for his attack.

"I'm a perve?!" He questioned, sweat dropping. It was replaced quickly by a smirk. "You're the one challenging me in pink lacy underwear."

Amalie's cheeks coloured to the same shade as her lingerie. "I don't hear you complaining," she growled, not relaxing her defensive stance despite the wound in her side pulling painfully. "Who are you, exactly?"

"I'm the guy who smells like Christmas," he responded dryly, his smirk widening to a smile as she her face went bright red.

She remembered collapsing onto his cool bare chest in the guild, exhausted by the spell she cast and loss of blood.

"Name's Gray," he elaborated. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm just here to keep an eye on you till Mirajane gets back. The idiots in the bar can't be left unsupervised."

 _He's right - they can't be_ , she agreed mentally as she straightened back up, hissing as the pain that had been dulled by her adrenaline reared its ugly head.

Blood had begun to seep through the bandages.

"So you're finally awake, huh."

Amalie spun to face the new voice, holding the katana up.

A hulking blonde figured lounged in the doorframe, unsurprised at the sight of her blade just inches from his throat.

"Laxus Dreyar," she breathed, lowering the weapon quickly. "You smell revolting. Ugh... Master has turned this guild into a lost dragons home."

She playfully wrinkling her nose and twisted out of his reach as he made a grab at her.

He smirked at her. "Frosty probably hasn't told you but I did come by earlier. You ain't any fun asleep though."

Amalie sweat dropped at his insinuation and set her weapon down. She held her hand out to the blonde S-Class mage. "Give me your coat, dick, or I'll turn it to stone and take it."

Laxus pulled his coat off and threw it to her, smirking. "So where have you been hiding for the past year, kitten?"

"Oh, you know, running a country," she responded nonchalantly, slipping the garment on. The bottom of the fur lined coat pooled in the floor around her bare feet like a long dress.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Gray watched their exchange wordlessly, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor. Laxus wasn't the friendly type and he certainly didn't seem the type of guy to give a girl a cute nickname and especially not his coat. He hadn't even responded to her calling him a dick.

And she didn't appear to be the slightest bit afraid of him.

 _Just what the hell is going on here?_

"Where the fuck are your clothes, Gray?!" he heard Laxus growl, the threatening tone shaking him from his shock.

 _Shit. Where had they gone?_ He'd found his shirt and pants when Mira had kicked him out of the infirmary but they'd disappeared again.

He met the taller man's menacing gaze evenly and blinked.

Realising there was no other way out of the room than the door Laxus stood in, he smirked before responding, "Dunno. But your kitten didn't seem to mind them missing."

He felt the air crackle as Laxus' fury powered up his lightning. And he watched in disbelief as the girl _\- Amalie, he reminded himself_ \- reached to grab the blonde's bare forearm.

"Don't..." Gray's warning died on his lips as he realised she wasn't affected by it. At all.

 _Seriously?_

"Laxus," Mirajane's voice was hard and clear from the doorway. "That's no way to treat Amalie's host."

Laxus was shocked enough by her words to stop mid-power up, and turned to face her.

All three sets of eyes focused on Mirajane as she smiled serenely and continued, "Well, she can't stay here, Erza's still a week of finishing her job, and she doesn't want to stay at your house after last time."

Gray looked at the other two with confusion as Laxus blushed furiously and Amalie giggled.

 _What happened last time?_

"Why can't she stay with you?" Laxus demanded.

"You know I don't have the room and Elfman can't fit on the couch," Mira reasoned. She turned to the Ice mage. "You don't mind, do you Gray?"

Laxus made a disparaging noise and pushed past Mirajane. She squeezed his bicep gently as he passed. He may have been gruff and volatile, but she knew he was protective of those he considered family.

Wordlessly, she handed Gray the clothes she'd somehow located and retrieved, and turned to Amalie. "I grabbed your trunk from storage."

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

She practically skipped at his side, humming softly to herself, her arrows jingling in their quiver as she moved.

"For someone who looked like death as few hours ago, you're bloody cheerful," Gray grumbled, stopping outside a small terrace house.

Mira had ushered them from the guild before he could re-start his fight with Natsu or lose any more items of clothing.

Amalie took a few more steps before realizing her companion had stopped and turned back to him.

"I shouldn't have touched Laxus after you aggravated him... Absorbing that magic was like drinking a litre of espresso."

 _Absorbed Laxus' magic? Wait... What? She said like it was completely normal!_

"You can absorb magic?"

She gave him as blinding smile. "Yep. Well, not exactly. Only some. Are we going to go in or are you just gonna keep staring at me like a baka?"

His eyebrow twitched in irritation as he met her gaze - her emerald eyes were glittering with amusement.

"Why can't you stay at Laxus' place?"

She shrugged flippantly. "Because last time I did, the pig kept me up all night having inappropriately loud sex."

Gray's eyebrows nearly hit his hairline. "What?!"

"Not with me," she clarified. "And besides, dragons smell... Weird."

Gray sighed and turned from her to stomp up the stairs, towing her trunk behind him.

Amalie followed, tripping over the too long coat she'd taken from Laxus.

He caught her by the arm before she fell completely. A slight shock ran through him at the contact.

 _Residual electricity_ , he rationalized.

She didn't seem to notice and smiled up at him cutely, eyes peeking out from under her fringe.

 _Cute?!_ He thought furiously. _Since when was a strange girl in another man's clothing cute?_

He grunted and led her through the threshold.

His house wasn't huge, just a narrow double story with minimal furnishings, 2 bedrooms and a generous bathroom. He wasn't really home enough to warrant a need for anything more.

She said nothing as she followed him up the stairs and into the spare room.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Amalie dressed carefully after her bath. She'd managed to get all the blood and dirt from her hair and body after several washes with the minty scented shampoo and body wash.

 _Maybe that's why he smells so good?_ she thought before shaking the idea with a small smile.

Gazing in the mirror, she realised just how terrible she looked. Half her left cheek had bruised a sickly yellow colour with a purple tinge and a deep scratch ran the length of her jaw on the right side.

 _No wonder Laxus went all big brother protection mode._

She'd had to remove Mira's bandages because moving around like she had at the guild had pulled the wounds open. She'd have to get Gray to put new ones on.

She smiled at the thought of him. _And those eyes..._

Sighing, she knotted her t-shirt under her generous bust.

 _Sera nearly killed me. Again._ It would be a long time until it was safe to return home.

 _But how bad is it going to be next time she tries something?_

She sighed again and made her way downstairs.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Gray was waiting for her in the kitchen. He'd been debating how to broach the subject of, well, everything. Who she was. Where she'd been. Those terrible scars...

He looked up as she entered, taking in her baggy low slung pants and bare flat stomach.

She wasn't as well endowed as Lucy's but she definitely had a nice figure.

His eyes slid up and met her curious gaze.

 _Shit. Busted._

"Ok. I'm pretty laid back and all, but since you're staying here till Erza returns I reckon I deserve to know more than just your name." It all tumbled out, and to his horror, kept going. "That scar on your throat..."

"Was from my sister trying to cut my throat out while I slept," she interrupted quietly, unashamedly keeping eye contact. "And the wound on my side is because she shot me with an arrow."

Gray winced. He hadn't been expecting this sort of outright honesty.

"Speaking of that, I need to re-bandage it or Mira will have my hide," he told her. She nodded, breaking eye contact and moving to stand before him.

This close, he could see the other scars that marked her.

 _No-one should wear this many._

Without thinking, he reached forward and traced an L shaped mark just above her hip wonderingly.

She took a sharp breath in and he recoiled.

 _What the fuck am I doing?!_

"I fell onto a fence stake during one of my first guild missions with Erza," she explained quietly. Giggling softly, she added, "Erza was so mad."

Gray smirked and reached past her for the clean bandages.

 _Stop being a creeper and staring at her body,_ he told himself sternly.

It had been a long time since he'd been this close to a female, except Lucy but she hardly counted.

Her hand touched his shoulder and he looked up at her in surprise. She didn't meet his eyes as she carefully smoothed some hair from his forehead.

"S Class mission on Galuna Island," he explained, releasing the breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Erza mentioned that mission..." she whispered.

He smirked. _What else has Erza told you?_ He wondered.

Mentally shaking himself, he stood up and placed a clean dressing on the wound at the side of her flat stomach and unrolling the bandage. "Right. I need to get this covered and then we can get some food."

He nearly winced at how uneven his voice sounded.

"You need another dressing."

"What?"

She turned so her back faced him. He looked down and scowled.

"You can't pull an arrow out. I had to..." She trailed off.

Push it through to remove it before you did the horse transformation spell, he finished mentally. He got the overwhelming sudden desire to protect her. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

"Sorry."

"Why?" he snapped. She visibly flinched at his tone and the anger visible on his face.

Gray took a deep breath and set about bandaging her, refusing to say another word.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4.**

Amalie peeked sneakily through her fringe at the Ice mage as they walked towards the guild. Gray hadn't really spoken with her much since she'd admitted to the whole arrow thing the previous night.

 _You're essentially a stranger,_ she told herself sternly as she stole another glance at him. _And you're staying at his house. He doesn't owe you small talk or pleasantries._

"Do I have something on my face?" He growled.

 _Crap, busted!_

She waved her hands in front of her and smiled. "No no no... Nothing."

He grunted and shoved through the guild doors.

Amalie followed him meekly, casting an admiring look at his departing back. Somehow, he'd lost his shirt between his house and the guild but she _definitely_ didn't mind the view.

She walked over to the bar. Mirajane's face broke into a huge smile when she saw her and Amalie couldn't do a thing but smile back.

"I've missed you, Mira. Thank you for patching me up yesterday," she greeted the other girl leaning over the bar to give her a quick hug.

"It was my pleasure," Mira replied. "I am sorry about your dress, though. And I do wish you'd show up sometimes not half dead."

Amalie had the good grace to blush at Mira's gentle teasing. She noticed the blonde girl beside her starting and turned to face her. "Hi. You're new."

"Not so new!" the girl protested. "I'm Lucy. Part of Team Natsu."

 _So she was part of the team Erza had had to run off and save last time I was here._

"I'm Amalie. Sorry to make this short but I need to see the master." She slipped away and jogged up the stairs.

Laxus was predictably lounged in there across from the master, and flashed a glare at her as she entered.

 _He's so cute when he's still mad_ , she thought, grinning. _Temperamental things, dragons are._

"If you keep frowning so much, your forehead will soon look like the masters," she teased as she defiantly planted a quick kiss on top of Laxus' blonde head and pinched his cheek. He grunted and swung a fist half heartedly at her.

She avoided it easily, giggling, and leaning down to hug Makarov.

"You've been gone for a time, my child. It's so good to have you back," he greeted her, smiling broadly. Amalie smiled back.

"I plan on staying a while, old man. Things at home have become... Difficult."

 _And unbearable and terrifying,_ she added in her head.

Makarov nodded. He had the uncanny ability of knowing everything.

 _At least I don't have to explain myself or the situation to him._

"No archaic weapons today, kitten?" Laxus queried innocently.

She shrugged, "Not that you can see."

She'd left the katana and bow back in Gray's spare room, but had a small knife holstered to the hip of her shorts that were hidden by the oversized shirt she wore.

"Come on a job with me," Laxus demanded of her.

 _He still lacks basic manners._

"Nope. And you know, the polite thing to do is ask," she reminded him. "I'm thinking I'll tag along with that Team Natsu mob. They seem fun."

"Great idea!" Makarov agreed, smiling broadly at her. "It'll help you settle back into the swing of things."

Laxus muttered something that sounded like 'fucking weaklings' under his breath but Amalie choose to ignore him and departed the office after giving the Fairy Tail master another quick hug.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Lucy watched as the girl skipped down the stairs and frowned to herself.

 _How could she move so well after what she'd looked like yesterday? S_ he shuddered to herself as she remembered all the blood.

A warm arm slung across her shoulders, causing her to jump in surprise. Turning her head, she saw Natsu grinning at her broadly.

She felt her cheeks warm at his familiarity and closeness.

 _What are you doing!_ She reprimanded herself before she could start thinking about just how attractive he had become to her in the past few weeks.

"So, Luce, I'm thinking we do a mission before Erza gets back," the pink haired mage explained excitedly. He slapped a job sheet down in front of her.

"Bandits?" She asked stupidly., raising her eyebrow at him.

"Yeah!" He punched the air before taking a whiny tone and turning to Lucy with puppy dog eyes. "It's been ages since I've had a good fight."

"You fight Gray every day!" She protested.

"But, Luce..." He whined.

Lucy gazed into his black eyes, feeling herself crumbling.

 _Ahhh! Stop! Just stop! Be strong, Lucy!_

"But don't we need Erza for that kinda thing?" She finally replied weakly. "You know, just in case?"

Natsu pointed to the copper haired girl talking to Mirajane. "We could take her. She's Erza's friend. That's close enough, right?"

Lucy felt her stomach drop a little. _The new girl seemed capable..._

 _But she's pretty and strong,_ Lucy's insecure side pointed out. _What if she's more useful than me?_

Natsu was looking at her intently, wanting her agreement before he charged on over. It was a new development of late. Is almost seemed as though he wanted Lucy to agree with his decisions before he made them.

"S-sure," she stuttered, watching as he bounded off. She leant forward and rested her forehead on the cool bar.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid._

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

2 hours later, Gray was seated next to Amalie on the train.

Natsu lay groaning with his head in Lucy's lap as per usual. Happy was perched on Lucy's shoulder as the blonde played with Natsu's pink hair, gazing absently out the window.

Gray watched with a raised eyebrow. _They sure are starting to look cozy. It's about time the pyro noticed Lucy._

He could see Amalie dozing off beside him, her head slowly falling forward then jerking back up.

He hadn't really spoken to her since last night, but he'd known she'd hardly slept. Living by himself made him hyper aware when someone else was in his house, and he'd heard her creep downstairs at a little past 3am. She'd been asleep sitting up on the couch under Laxus' coat, cheek resting on her knees, when he'd gone downstairs at 8am.

 _To hell with it,_ he decided. Without looking, and carefully keeping his face passive, he reached over and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

She stiffened at the touch but let him pull her into his side, leaning against him. She relaxed slowly, her breathing becoming more even as she fell back asleep.

Gray didn't dare look at Lucy or Happy. He could feel the celestial mage and Exceed looking as him as he pointedly stared out the window.

 _Dammit. At least I can retaliate about her feelings for Natsu if she says anything._

The remainder of the 3 hour ride was uneventful, with Natsu making a full - _and annoyingly hyper_ \- recovery when they stepped onto the platform.

Lucy yawned and stretched. "So, it's in the forest, right? Can we stay in town and head out tomorrow morning?"

"Sure thing, Luce," the pyro agreed, bounding around like an over eager puppy. "I need food... I'm starved."

"You're always hungry, match stick," Gray snickered, smirking at the shorter guy.

 _Getting Natsu fired up is about as easy as shooting fish in a barrel._

Natsu grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and shoved his face into Gray's. "What did you say, popsicle?!"

"You heard me, pyro," he snapped, flicking Natsu's forehead.

Sure enough, that was all it took to start a tussle and they rolled around on the platform for a few minutes trading blows before the girls were able to interrupt them.

"We're going to the hot springs," Lucy informed them, sighing.

Amalie looked at Gray with a small smile and raised eyebrow. "You know you're practically naked, right?"

"Shit." _How did that always happen?_ He thought as he scurried to find his clothes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok, so I've tried my hand at some action :) Hope you like it!**

 **Chapter 5.**

Lucy sighed as she leant her head back onto the edge of the pool and closed her eyes.

The water was blissful and relaxing. The hot springs had been her idea, but now she wondered just what exactly Natsu and Gray were up to.

A fence separated the men's and women's pools and she hadn't heard the boys at all yet.

 _Probably fighting in the changing room,_ she supposed.

The water around her moved and she looked up the see the copper haired mage, Amalie, settling herself on the opposite side. She'd removed her bandage and the ugly wound on her side looked to have sealed.

 _I wonder if she'll let me ask questions or if she'll just be mad?_

Lucy had watched Gray pull the girl to him on the train. It was completely out of character for him and she desperately wanted to know why.

"Amalie?" She asked hesitantly. The girl looked up, emerald eyes meeting Lucy's chocolate coloured ones. She chickened out on asking what she really wanted to know. "How are you?"

The other girl gave her a small smile. "I've been better. So does that pink haired guy know you love him?"

Lucy's face turned bright red as she failed her arms in shock.

 _She sure doesn't hold back!_

"I... Uh... We can't... No."

Amalie shook her head, clearly amused by Lucy's flustered response.

Lucy stared down at the water.

"I can't tell him," she admitted before firing back. "What about Gray?"

It was the other girls turn to look uncomfortable.

"What about him?" Her fringe covered her eyes with a dark shadow.

Lucy smiled broadly at her. _So she did like him._

"Oh, you know. It's nothing really," Lucy dismissed. "Want to bunk together tonight?"

"I'd rather have my own room," Amalie admitted softly. "I don't really sleep and I don't want to keep anyone else up."

Lucy cocked her head as she regarded the other mage curiously.

 _Why can't you sleep?_ she wanted to ask but was interrupted by an alarm screaming from the speakers that were placed throughout the town.

"What is that?" Amalie asked, standing up and climbing from the pool.

Lucy shook her head grimly. "I don't know but it can't be good."

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

 _No. It certainly isn't good._ Amalie reflected as a fire ball landed on the bath house beside them with a deafening boom. She held her arms up to shield her face from the flying debris.

"I think those bandits got word we're here!" She exclaimed, grabbing Lucy's arm and dragged her to the fence that separated them from the guys before kicking a few pieces loose.

Amalie shoved Lucy unceremoniously through ahead of her.

"My keys!" the other girl gasped, grabbing at her waist.

Amalie snatched them up from where they'd caught on the fence and fallen to the ground, and threw them to Lucy before squeezing through after her.

"Luce! Amalie!" Natsu and Gray slid to a stop beside them, both fully dressed.

 _Fighting bandits in a towel won't do._

"Requip," Amalie commanded. The other three stared at her in surprise as her towel was replaced in a glow of golden light by a blue bra and matching knickers.

"Uh... I think you forgot the rest of your armour," Natsu pointed out, helpfully.

 _Thank you, captain obvious!_

"I'm not like Erza! I can only carry the bare necessities for requip!" she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

 _I really need to work on that. This is the second time in two days I've been caught out in my underwear!_

Gray grabbed her waist and she shivered as ice wrapped around it. "Ice bandages aren't ideal but we need to move," he explained, pulling his shirt off and offering it to her. "Here."

"Thanks. Can you make me an ice sword?" she asked as she pulled the white shirt over her shoulders and did a few buttons up.

Natsu looked dumbstruck. "Now's not the time for getting the ice stripper to make you a souvenir! Let's beat these creeps!"

"I need the freaking sword!" Amalie yelled back at him. "My magic is Change!"

"What's Change magic?" Lucy queried. "I've never heard of it..."

Another fireball hit the ground near them and exploded, showering them with soil and steam.

"Move! Now!" Natsu commanded, grabbing Lucy's hand and towing her behind him as he ran in the direction the fire ball had come from.

Gray looked at Amalie. "We gonna follow hothead?"

She nodded and placed her hands onto the ice bandage. "But first... Change: Gauze."

The ice rippled and changed into material with a soft glow.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

 _What the hell sort of magic was that?_ Gray caught her gaze and raised an eyebrow.

"I can change the composition of stuff... But I'm limited by not being able to 'create' stuff," was her response to his silent question.

He nodded and they both broke into a run, following the direction the pyro and Lucy had gone in. He tried desperately not to think about the fact she was wearing his shirt and that was damn sexy.

 _Sexy?! Shit. Focus, Gray!_ he told himself sternly

They found Natsu and Lucy, who by some small miracle still had her towel on, stopped in the main town square, half circled and fighting off advancing bandits.

 _Since when did magical and non-magical bandits work together?_

"Gray," Amalie murmured, staying close to his side. "I need a weapon. I'm useless without one."

He quickly created a katana from the memory of hers in the infirmary and handed it over.

"Impressive," she breathed, admiring it. "Change: Steel."

 _Damn, that magic was impressive. So is her underwear. Dammit! Focus!_

"You ready?" he muttered. She hummed in agreement and leapt at the closest man.

Gray went in the opposite direction, using his Ice Make Geyser to clear three men from his way. He followed it up with his Ice Make Lance as he made his way closer to his team mates.

Something hot collided with him and he turned to face the newest advisory. Natsu glared up at him from the ground.

"Dammit, frosty! Get outta my way!" he yelled.

"What the hell? You stupid punk! You ran into me!" Gray fired back, grabbing him by the scruff of his scarf.

Natsu swung at him, both forgetting the surrounding enemy as they glared at one another.

Lucy's scream broke them from their tussle, both looking towards her as she was pulled roughly backwards by her hair.

"Shit, Luce!" Natsu struggled out of Gray's grip. He was beaten to Lucy by Amalie, who nearly decapitated the man holding Lucy's hair with her katana. He stumbled back with a spray of blood.

 _Weapons are so much messier than magic..._

The rest of the fight was a blur of Ice Make attacks and Natsu's fire. Amalie stayed with Lucy and Loki, protecting the blonde mage as she summoned Sagittarius and used him to shoot down distant bandits running to join the melee.

After what felt like hours, only they were left standing. Bodies surrounded them, some dead and most unconscious.

 _"_ Anyone else get the feeling they weren't regular bandits?" Gray asked as he surveyed the damage they'd dealt.

"More like a raiding party," Amalie muttered beside him. The katana in her hand turned back to ice and she dropped it, letting it shatter on the ground.

 _What? How does she know anything about raiding parties?_ He looked down at her, eyebrow twitching.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry about the delay in uploading :)**

 **Chapter 6.**

Amalie crept closer to Gray and reached a hand to grasp his cool fingers. He flinched, but didn't pull away. Being close to him calmed the adrenaline still pounding through her. She needed the contact of someone to ground her, someone who was fighting the good fight and not encouraging a descent into darkness.

She held her wounded side tightly with her free hand to slow its bleeding. One of her adversaries in the battle had been faster than she'd anticipated and landed a heavy booted kick across her stomach.

"I think we've found ourselves in the middle of a territory dispute," she muttered. "I've... I mean, I.."

 _How do I tell them I've done this before? Been in those 'bandits' position but won at terrible human costs?_ she wondered guilty.

Gray's fingers squeezing hers broke her from her thoughts. She looked up at him and swallowed before admitting, "I've done what they tried to do. Many times over."

Amalie closed her eyes, waiting for Gray to push her away, for the other two to condemn her.

"We all have a past," Gray muttered instead, pulling her to his chest and embracing her. He rested his chin on top of her head. "You judge others on what you see, not what you hear."

She felt Lucy place a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Gray's right. You could have left me behind at the hot spring but you didn't."

Amalie smiled into Gray's bare chest, breathing in his scent, before pulling away from him.

She turned to face Lucy and Natsu, being swept quickly into a tight hug by the blonde mage. "Thank you, Amalie."

"Hey, squinty eyes... Still want to kick someone arse? Because sure as hell that Mayor lied about the job," Gray grinned at the pink haired mage.

 _I'm never going home,_ Amalie decided.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Natsu hummed to himself, smiling, as he and Gray walked back towards the inn. Despite essentially completing the job, they hadn't collected the reward on principal. Instead, he and the ice princess had given the Mayor a minor beating for misleading them about the exact nature of the work.

 _And I got to see Lucy fighting in a towel,_ he thought gleefully, shaking his head before his mind went to more pervy thoughts. _Like the fact she'd hadn't been wearing any underwear. And her boobs were barely covered... Shit. Stop thinking about her boobs._

He must have made a face because Gray started laughing at him. Natsu turned on him. "What are you laughing at, stripper?!"

He launched at the Ice mage and they traded a few blows before hurrying back to the inn, Natsu hopefully that he would accidentally walk in on Lucy in the shower.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

As luck had it, Amalie was able to get her own room. It had been decided by Lucy that Gray would have the single room next to Amalie's that connected through the shared bathroom, and she would share the twin room with Natsu and Happy.

"Gray and Natsu together is bad news," Lucy had reasoned with Amalie, her cheeks turning the colour of the Dragon slayers hair when the other girl had given her a sly smile. "They tend to destroy rooms and since we're not getting paid for this job, we can't afford to have to pay for repairs like usual."

Sure, Amalie responded sarcastically in her head as she raised an eyebrow suggestively at the blonde, who's face deepened to an even darker shade of pink.

They'd retrieved their belongings from the ruined bath house before they'd found the inn the mayor had arranged for them. Thankfully, her katana and bow had escaped the attack unscathed.

She ran a hot bath as she peeled Gray's ruined shirt off, hissing as it stuck to her wounded side.

Sighing, Amalie climbed into the tub, inhaled the sweet lavender scent of her bath oil, knowing that feeling clean and relaxed wouldn't last for very long.

 _They'll be sending a scout soon to see if the job was a success. I need to patrol._

She would get the information required and cast the spell to forget. It wiped a person's mind for 10 min prior to the casting. It was handy, to say the least, and nearly as easy to cast as the temporary paralysis spell.

Her mother had taught her both of them, as well as simple spells to make people remember things that hasn't happened and to force them into 2 minutes of sleep.

Dunking her head under the water, Amalie surfaced and quickly began the task of washing the matted mess that had become of her hair.

After she'd dried herself off, she pulled on her favourite 'hunting' clothes - a tight black singlet, stretchy black leggings that we're spelled for durability and soft brown leather knee high boots with flexible soles. She pulled a heavy black cape over her shoulder and adjusted the hood to cover her face.

It was too risky to be seen carrying her beloved katana, so she slid a knife into thigh sheaths on each leg and another into her belt.

There was a soft knock at the door and Lucy's voice asked, "The boys are back. Did you want to come for dinner?"

 _Dammit._

"I'm really tired. I think I want to have another bath and just relax," Amalie called back. She carefully slid the bedroom window open.

"I'll bring you back something," Lucy promised cheerfully, her voice fading as she was walking away down the hall.

Amalie sighed. It was hard not telling them everything - about her past, her magic, her sister and her training. _I suppose I'll have to, sooner or later._

She swung carefully out the window and climbed to the roof. She'd been trained in stealth from an early age, and running over rooftops quietly was one of the easier things she'd had to do.

She'd trained in physical fighting from 5 years old. Change magic had many advantages, but it was not a fighting or creation magic like fire, ice and lightning were, which was why she'd learnt small amounts of other magics like Erza's Requip to compliment her main magical skill.

 _Stupid injury,_ she cringed as a particular somersault landing was a little harder than intended. It pulled painfully at her side. It was in such an awkward place that she couldn't bandage it by herself and had had to leave it uncovered.

She paused, breathing hard, on a roof at the edge of the square they'd fought in earlier. Both the guards of the city and the magic council had already cleared up the mess, arresting those still alive and disposing of the many dead. A dark haired figure stood alone below her in a white trench coat.

 _The scout._

Amalie dropped to the ground behind him, landing softly. He heard her anyway and turned calmly, dark blue eyes meeting her green ones.

 _What the fuck?_

"Gray?"

He regarded her with cool eyes, arms crossed over his chest. "I took a guest you'd be here since you weren't in your room."

She sighed. _Goddamn it._ "There's going to be a scout. There always is."

"So why didn't you get one of us to come with you?" He demanded, face unreadable but his tone was laced with anger.

"Because I need to cast a spell," she hissed back, feeling her own anger rising at his distrust. A figure emerged from the shadows across the square. "There's someone coming. Follow my lead. And keep your damn clothes on!"

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Gray followed her, fighting himself as he gripped his coat tightly.

 _Don't get naked, don't get naked,_ he repeated sternly to himself.

Amalie walked ahead, her hooded cloak still covering her hair and face, but not enough that the scout didn't recognise her when she got closer to him.

He gasped and bowed low when he saw her face.

 _What the hell is going on?!_

"Apologies, your highness. His majesty didn't mention you'd be here."

 _Your highness?!_ He hid the shock from his face, keeping a bored expression.

"And what is King Maroc doing invading such a small territory like Stella?" Amalie demanded softly.

"Her majesty, Queen Sera, wishes to succeed all the kingdoms of Earthland in the name of the Kingdom of Caros," the scout informed her, still bowing. "They are testing strength and defense of towns and cities within the territories to make their invasion plans."

 _Isn't that kingdom past Pergrande? How the hell did they manage to get this far without detection?_

"Thank you. Your information has been most helpful," Amalie purred, catching the scouts chin in her right hand. "Look at me know."

Gray watched as the other man looked up at her and she placed her left thumb to his forehead.

 _So this was what Mira had been talking about when she mentioned a paralysis spell._

"Erez," she commanded. She placed her left pinkie finger where her thumb had been. "D'mem."

The man's eyes glazed dreamily as he stared at her.

"Princess Amalie has died of infection from a stomach wound caused by an arrow. Earthland is strong and an invasion is impracticable," she told him.

 _Princess?_ He fought to keep his face passive.

She removed her pinkie and pressed her middle finger to his forehead. "Sleep."

He dropped to the ground, drooling and a snot bubble forming as he snored.

Amalie grabbed Gray's hand. "Let's go. I'll answer your questions back at the inn. Where are your clothes?!"

 _Dammit!_ He scrambled for his coat and shirt before chasing after her.

They ran back to the inn in silence, nearly running into Natsu and Lucy.

"Watch where you're walking, pyro," Gray snarled at the pink haired mage. He'd decided it was best not to tell them yet what had transpired.

"Wanna fight?!" Natsu challenged, jumping at him.

Lucy's hand reached out and snatched Natsu back, glaring at them both evilly. "Cut. It. Out."

"Yes, ma'am," he and Gray agreed in unison.

 _She's pretty scary when she wants to be._

"Good," a smile back on her face, she handed a couple of packages to Amalie. "We brought you and Gray back some food. What were you guys up to, anyway?"

Amalie smiled brightly. "Just checking out everything had settled down from earlier."


	7. Chapter 7

**Once again, I don't own Fairy Tail.**

 **Story is rated M 'cause I'm a bit swear-y. Hoping everyone likes reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it! Sorry if you don't like OOC characters - I've tried my hardest!**

 **Chapter 7.**

Lucy swung the door of the bathroom open, singing out, "All yours, Natsu."

She'd had a quick shower before they got food, but hadn't had time to wash her hair.

 _Because someone was whining about being starving and having to wait for me._

"Shhhh," was the hissed back response.

Natsu was crouched at the wall that separated their room with Gray's, ear pressed to it.

They'd seen both Gray and Amalie go in there and curiosity had clearly got the best of the dragon slayer.

Lucy regarded him with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, stalking over to him.

"I wanna know what they're doing," he explained with a shrug.

Lucy sighed. _Honestly? How old is he? Five?_

Reaching down, she grabbed a fist full of pink hair and pulled. "You're being nosey."

"But Luce..." Natsu whined, not putting up much resistance and moving with her.

When he was safely away from the wall, she released her hold on his hair. He shot back upright, knocking Lucy back. She grabbed at his vest to stop from falling backwards. His strong arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

She looked up in surprise at the contact, heat rushing to her cheeks. He hesitated slightly before pressing his lips firmly down to hers.

Lucy gasped in surprise but found herself kissing him back, a need she'd never felt fuelling her desire.

 _Finally!_ She thought as she gently sucked his bottom lip. He responded immediately, pulling her even tighter to him and gently parting her lips with his tongue. A low growl escaped his throat as their tongues carefully explored new territory.

His hands slid down her sides, cupping her butt and he pulled away from her mouth to kiss down her neck.

Lucy moaned, tangling her fingers in Natsu's pink hair as his lips moved over her collarbone.

"Luce... I'm sorry it took me so long," he murmured, using his grip on her backside to lift her up onto the table.

 _Holy shit. That move was hot,_ Lucy thought dizzily.

His mouth was on hers again, urgent and hot. She could feel his hardened member straining against his pants.

She pulled back from him with a gasp, trying to catch her breath. He gazed down at her with half closed eyes.

"I think you should go have that shower now, Natsu. And you'd better make it a cold one."

He huffed, reluctantly letting her go.

 _Oh my god... What am I doing!_ Lucy thought to herself as she watched him plod off to the bathroom. She touched her still tingling lips and smiled.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

"So you wanna explain what happened back there?" Gray growled as soon as the door was closed and locked.

 _Actually, I just want to eat,_ Amalie responded in her head as she opened one of the packages.

"Noodles?" she asked, avoiding his question and offering the box to him. He glared in response and she sighed. "Yes, I'm an actual princess. But I'm also starving. So I'll talk while we eat."

He reluctantly nodded and grabbed the other package, dropping himself into the seat across from her.

 _I'll explain the whole 'Sera is an evil bitch and killed our family' first,_ she decided as she shovelled some noodles into her mouth. _Then I guess I'll just answer what he asks._

"I'm one of the princesses of Caros. My eldest sister, Sera, wanted the crown but didn't want to wait so she killed our parents," Amalie told him, keeping her tone emotionless and matter of fact. She wasn't ready to shed any more tears than she already had over the past 3 years. "Then she married a dark mage."

She shovelled more food into her mouth and stole a look at Gray.

His eyebrow twitched as her words sunk in. "What were those spells you used before? I've never seen them."

"It was several spells. They're my mother's legacy. She created those them, and taught them to me," Amalie replied. "Erez is the spell to make someone forget the previous 10min, d'mem is a spell to create a false memory, sleep will knock someone out cold for 2 minutes and paraz is a paralysis spell. You gotta use different fingers to channel each spell."

She had another mouthful, chewed thoughtfully for a minute before swallowed and pushing on. "I didn't know for sure that it was Sera trying to kill me until..."

"Your throat," he filled in, understanding. She could feel his eyes boring into her.

Amalie nodded. "She sent me out on more and more jobs to... Dispatch... People that opposed her rule so they could obtain more territory. I hated it, but she spelled people to guard me that I couldn't persuade with my own magic."

"Until you managed to escape and get to Fairy Tail yesterday?" he asked softly.

Amalie meet his blue eyes in surprise, but there was no judgement in them.

 _Why is he being nice about this? Don't cry! Use short simple sentences_ , _Amalie._

"I killed the guards. I think I half killed Maroc. I tried to kill Sera. She shot me. I escaped."

 _Breathe. Don't cry!_ But the tears were already falling though, not heeding her stern instructions.

She closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears streaming down her cheeks. Gray's hands cupping her jaw was the last thing she expected. Her eyes flew open as his calloused thumbs gently wiped her cheeks, the touch making her skin tingle and her stomach flutter. His minty scent was comforting and a total turn on.

Unfortunately, he'd managed to keep his shirt on.

 _What is the matter with me? I must be well and truly fucked up. His smell turns me on?! And revealing I'm a murderer and then wanting his clothes gone?_

"We judge others on what we see," he reminded her of what he'd said earlier.

"Gray..." She whispered, looking into those deep blue eyes.

She desperately wanted to kiss him.

 _But that's super inappropriate, right? I hardly know the guy._

Instead, she pulled her face slowly from his grasp and stood. "I need sleep. Good night, Gray."

Carefully, she leaned over him and kissed his cheek, trying to ignore his intoxicating smell and the sparks she felt just by touching him, and escaped back to her own room.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8.**

They met early in the inns lobby to catch the train back to Magnolia.

Happy had missed out on the fighting and had bailed on them early after finding out Wendy was on a mission with Carla a short flight away.

Gray had interrupted Lucy and Natsu looking incredibly cosy and standing close. They leapt apart as he greeted them with a simple, "Hey."

 _Hmmm. The pyro is never early. Something's up._

Amalie had appeared just after Gray, looking exhausted, in loose three quarter pants, a short blue singlet that showed off her toned flat stomach and a pair of high top sneakers. She'd covered the puncture wound on her side with stick on dressings.

Her weapons, he assumed, were safely concealed in the long bag over her shoulder.

She grunted a greeting and led the way to the station without another word, stopping only for a takeaway coffee on their way.

Gray hung back and watched the sneaky contact Lucy and Natsu made on the walk, the almost hand holding and sly shoulder bumps, but chose to not comment on it.

Instead, he just smirked. _Spineless bugger finally must have made a move._

Lucy organised the tickets and handed them out to the team. She was positively beaming and not even the unsuccessful attempts to get Amalie to talk seemed to have an effect on her mood.

Gray sat beside Amalie when they boarded the train. She wore a bored, almost pissed off expression as she deliberately sat as far from him on the seat as she could with her head resting on the carriage wall. There was no sign of fragility or warmth that he had glimpsed the previous evening.

 _Maybe I got her wrong and she's not interested. She sure looked at me differently last night. And she held my hand after the fight._

He sighed, leaning his head back against the seat and closing. _Why can't she be as easy to read as Juvia was?_

Just thinking her name pissed him off. She'd dumped him and run off to Blue Pegasus to be with another water mage that he couldn't remember the name of. _Right after I said I loved her._

The train pulled out from the station with a small jolt and that was the end of Natsu. Without even looking, Gray knew the fire dragon slayer would be taking full advantage of his crippling travel sickness and have his head in Lucy's lap.

Natsu's groans silenced after a short time.

 _Good. Hopefully he'll sleep for the rest of the trip so I don't have to hear his revolting gagging._

"Gray? Are you okay?" Lucy's voice broke him from his thoughts. He looked over where the blonde sat, her hands tangled in Natsu's thick pink hair as he slept on her. His face was a nasty shade of green. Lucy's brown eyes regarded him with concern.

"Yeah, fine," he grunted in response.

The train jolted unexpectedly and there was a thump beside him followed by a stream of profanity. Natsu groaned in his sleep at the movement.

Gray looked over at the copper haired girl beside him as she cursed and rubbed where her head must have bumped.

She glanced up at him, green eyes flashing. "What?"

He just shrugged. "You know you can lean on me, right? Save your brain cells from being beaten out."

She glared at him but grudgingly slid the few inches over.

 _That was easy._ He was surprised.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she snuggled into his side and fell quickly back to sleep. He'd wanted her to do that from the start.

 _Dammit, Gray. Stop with the cute shit. You're an ice mage. Be cold._

But he found it harder to be indifferent and sterile as her soft, solid warmth calmed him.

"So..." Lucy interrupted quietly. He looked back up at her. "You like her?"

"I hardly know her," he retorted.

Lucy giggled. "Doesn't mean you're not interested."

He sighed. "Just cause you and match stick finally hooked up, doesn't mean you can turn into Mira."

He nearly laughed out loud as Lucy turned a vibrant shade of pink before composing herself.

"Amalie said she doesn't sleep," she blurted out, immediately looking horrified that she'd spilled a secret and clutched a hand over her mouth.

Gray looked down at the girl's sleeping face. "Yeah, I know she doesn't."

The rest of the train ride was in comfortable silence. Amalie's hand had slipped off her lap to rest lightly on his thigh, palm up, and he'd fought the urge to hold it for fear of attracting further scrutiny from Lucy, who was watching him like a hawk.

 _She probably can't wait to tell Mira,_ he thought grimly.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Amalie trailed after Natsu, Lucy and Gray as they walked back to the guild. She'd slept well on the train and hadn't drooled on Gray's shoulder - which had been a bonus in itself.

 _Maybe I can do normal after all._ She nearly smiled at the thought. _Normal... No worrying about not waking up or depraved missions to kill people._

The guild was its usual hectic hive of activity. Amalie smiled outwardly, relishing in the atmosphere.

"Amalie!" She turned to the sound of Mirajane's voice as the white haired bar maid waved to her. "How was the job?"

Amalie waved back. "I just want to train a little bit, Mira. Then I'll tell you all about it."

She spotted Laxus near the end of the bar and made a beeline for him. "Hey, Goldilocks. Show me where the training room is?"

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Laxus scowled at Amalie and grudgingly got up.

 _Annoying little thing, she is. Aww well... I could make this interesting..._

"Fight me," he challenged.

"Fine," she agreed easily, a small smile gracing her lips. "No aiming for my wounds. They've only just stopped hurting."

"None of that psycho shit you, Sera and Erza used to play at, though, " he added to the single rule she'd set.

She followed as he led the way from the bar into a larger empty room out the back that was fitted with padded floor mats.

She dropped her bag to the floor and drew her katana from it.

 _What is it with those chicks and their attachment to swords?_ He wondered.

Her smile grew broader. "Weapon of choice?"

Laxus grunted in response and tossed a sword from the weapons rack to her.

Amalie caught it easily in her free hand. "Change: Wood."

The weapons in her hand glowed as her magic changed their composition. She threw the now harmless sword back to him.

He didn't pause as he caught it and charged at her.

She dodged the attack easily and spanked his butt once as he passed with the flat of the now wooden katana, giggling.

He growled. _She's faster than I remember._

He called his lightning, trying to hide it as he engaged her again with a few swipes that she blocked and parried

"No magic."

 _Dammit, she noticed._

He released a bolt of lightning at her anyway but she swiped it, Changing it to a burst of harmless snow with the touch of her fingers.

 _Smart arse._

He smirked at her, moving forward quickly to engage again. She moved and blocked him easily despite the size and strength difference.

 _She's a beautiful fighter._

"Sera sent a raiding party to Stella," she breathed, barely a whisper, at a level only he could hear as she slipped past his next attack.

"Why?" He questioned loudly in response.

"Testing their defenses."

 _How the hell did they make it that far past the borders without the magic council detecting them?!_

She got in close again and swatted his bicep with the wooden katana, taking advantage of his brief distraction.

"I thought this was a fight, Sparky," she teased.

"Fuck off with the nicknames, kitten," he snarled at her. She giggled in response and leapt away from him.

 _Focus,_ he growled to himself.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Half the guild had silently gathered in the doorway of the training room to watch Laxus spar with the much smaller Amalie.

They'd been trading blows for a good half an hour, with neither looking like they were tiring of it.

Gray, Natsu and Lucy had a front row view, having got there first since Natsu's super hearing had picked up Laxus' challenge.

"They're only playing," a familiar female voice spoke up behind them, her tone laced with amusement. "We used to train with real weapons. First to bleed lost."

 _What the actual fuck?! No wonder they're both covered in scars!_ Gray thought to himself.

"You're back in time for the entertainment, Erza," he told the redhead, smirking over his shoulder at her.

He turned his focus back to the match just as Laxus managed to sweep the girls' legs out from under her, catching her free arm before she fell.

His booming laughter echoing in the hall. She took advantage of his slight distraction and used his chest as a springboard to flip back and away.

 _Kick his arse,_ Gray willed silently as she landed in a low crouch, fingers brushing the floor, and launched herself back at him.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Amalie launched back at Laxus.

 _He's bigger than me but I'm more agile,_ she thought to herself. _And his arrogance is really starting to piss me off._

He just managed to dodge her charge, throwing himself slightly off balance. She spun quickly and grabbed his shirt, using his own momentum against him as she kicked the back of his knees.

She hadn't been counting on him managing to grab her thigh as he fell.

 _Dammit!_

She landed straddling his hips, feeling Laxus' wooden sword press under her chin.

She smiled down at him, panting. Her katana edge was pressed to his throat.

"Call it even?" he enquired, breathing just as hard as she was.

"Hardly. I got more strikes," Amalie disagreed.

"And yet, look at the position you're in," he snarked back, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

 _Dammit. This does look pretty suss..._

She pulled herself up off him, making sure to dig her elbow into his solar plexus, just because she could.

"Oi!" was his growled response to the brief shot of pain as he swiped a fist at her.

Both weapons returned to their original material state as she released the magic holding them.

"I think we have an audience..." Laxus muttered unnecessarily. They'd both sensed the presence of the other mages during their fight.

"You always did perform better with one," she teased. He coloured slightly, gave a grunt and stormed off in typical Laxus fashion.

Amalie watched him leave, making immediate eye contact with Gray as Laxus shoved past him. Her heart skipped a beat just seeing his face. A familiar red head stood beside him smiling broadly.

"Erza! You're back early!"

She raced over, but was intercepted by the annoying fire dragon.

 _Ugh... Doesn't he know anything about personal space?_

"Fight me next!" He demanded.

Amalie couldn't be bothered dealing with him so simply reached the short distance to touch Natsu's forehead with her middle finger. "Sleep."

He dropped to the ground snoring.

"What did you do to him?" Lucy squawked, dropping to her knees beside the pink haired mage's body as Gray and Erza snickered.

Amalie shrugged - _the fact he's snoring is pretty self explanatory, isn't it? -_ and then cringed as she was crushed against Erza's armour as the redhead hugged her.

"It's been a long time. I'm glad you've returned," Erza greeted. "Will you be staying for long?"

Amalie glanced briefly at Gray, feeling her cheeks colour as their eyes made contact. He still wore an amused smirk. She hastily looked back at Erza. "Hopefully, I'll be in Magnolia for good."

Erza's next hug was crushing and unexpected. "It's about damn time! This calls for a celebration!"

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9.**

Natsu woke a few minutes later, much to Lucy's relief.

 _What spell was that?_ she wondered, taking a mental note to ask Crux to research it later for her.

"What happened?" Natsu's voice groggily demanded. "I don't remember falling asleep!"

"That's what you get for picking a fight with someone you don't know," Lucy told him, her tone stern. He sat up suddenly, his forehead connecting hard with her chin. "Ow! Watch out, baka!"

"Sorry, Luce!" He apologised, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "You okay?"

She felt her breathing hitch as she realised just how close their faces were. He was examining her face with a strange look and leaning in to close the gap between them. Her stomach fluttered.

 _Is he going to kiss me again? Shit, Lucy. Don't think that! Especially not here at the guild! I'll be teased mercilessly for weeks!_

She quickly punched his arm lightly and stood up. "We're missing out on the party."

"There's a party?!" He leapt up beside her, nearly knocking her over again.

"Natsu..." Lucy heard herself whisper as he caught her waist to stop her falling. Her hand caught his vest.

 _Dammit! Why is he having this effect on me?_

They both blushed at the same time before jumping apart.

"You're weird," he muttered.

"I'm weird? You... You..." Lucy responded indignantly, but her mind refused to help her come up with a decent retort.

"Yep," Natsu grinned wolfishly at her before jogging off and calling over his shoulder, "You coming?"

 _I need to get a hold of myself!_ Lucy sighed, following him at a much more leisurely pace.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Laxus was onto his second beer when he heard a squeal. He turned to the sound in time to see Amalie leap away from Bickslow, Changing his mask to stone as she yelled, "Oh my god, Bicks! That's so unsanitary!"

Bickslow comically face planted the floor at the sudden weight change of his attire while Freed and Evergreen roared with laughter.

 _Probably licked her face,_ Laxus thought as he smirked into his beer, watching the smaller girl rubbing her cheek furiously. She caught his eye and gave him a wolfish smile. He could smell the sweet scent of her adrenaline still burning from their fight.

 _The females in this guild are all bat shit crazy,_ he decided. He smirked back at her.

Amalie was like a small, irritatingly hot younger sister to him. He'd been the one responsible for bringing her to Fairy Tail three years ago.

The Raijinshuu had taken a security job at the Palace after a spate of attacks on the King and Queen.

Queen Kallee had asked Laxus to take her youngest daughter with him when they had caught those behind the attacks. Her reasoning had been 'life experience' before she was under the weight of a crown and scrutiny of a kingdom.

 _But it was really because Sera was trying to get rid of her and we didn't know until last year._

He watched as the girl skipped over to him, snatching up the beer Mira had just placed on the bar for her and draining it in one swig.

"Cana would be so proud," Laxus muttered disapprovingly as Amalie slid the empty back to Mira.

She playfully clutched at her heart. "Oh, Mister Drayer, your words and judgement wound me so. It's a party. Stop being so... Rigid."

He grunted in response, frowning as she grabbed her second beer. "How was the Team Natsu job? You actually get paid?"

"Nope," she replied cheerfully, sipping her beer before continuing. "There was that situation I told you about when we were sparring."

Gray wandered over to lean on the bar near them.

"I gave the scout a memory that I was dead and wiped his recent memory," she explained, her tone flippant.

"No-one that we fought seemed to recognise her," Gray added.

"Put some fucking clothes on, ice stripper," Laxus growled at him, starting to spark in irritation. He turned to Amalie. "You're a lucky fool, kitten! You must have a fucking death wish."

 _If anyone saw her, they could use it as leverage! Dammit._

He pointed at Gray. "Does this guy know everything now?!"

"I know enough," Gray replied in a flat tone.

Laxus turned on him. "Keep an eye on her, ice cube. She might be S-Class but she has night terrors from all the fucked up torture her sister inflicted. If anything happens to her, I'll kill you."

Gray's eyebrow twitched in irritation at Laxus' threat. "S-Class? I thought she'd move in with Erza now she's back."

"Um... Guys, you know I'm still standing right here, right?" Amalie tried to interrupt but was ignored by the males glaring at each other.

"Fairy Hills and my place are the first places Sera'd look," he replied. "I'll pay her way till she's done enough jobs that actually pay to get her own place."

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Laxus' word hit Amalie like a slap to the face.

 _How dare he?! I don't need his charity or protection! And announcing my life for anyone to hear! I only got a high ranking because of my association with the Raijinshuu and combat training!_

"Fuck you, Laxus!" she screamed and launched at him, punching him square in the face before he could react. His chair teetered before he fell backwards from it. She landed straddling him, going to throw more punches but Laxus caught her much smaller hands in his.

The guild cheered in the background - it wasn't often that someone got the drop on Laxus.

"What the hell, kitten?!" he yelped, looked up at her livid face in shocked surprise, before smirking. "If you wanna be on top that bad, you should at least take me on a date first."

Cool hands latched across her mouth -cutting off her furious scream- and around her waist. She was hauled up off the lightning dragon slayer; but not before she'd managed to land a solid kick in his ribs.

Freed rushed to help his leader up and fussed over the blood that was dribbling from Laxus' nose.

"Amalie," Gray's calm voice broke through her angry haze. "As much as I want to see you kick the shit outta this asshole, you need to chill. This is meant to be a party."

 _Fuck the party! Laxus just aired my dirty laundry to the entire freaking guild!_ She struggled against him, but it was half hearted.

"Can I let you go now without you murdering Laxus?" The ice mage's voice was soft in her ear, his warm breath tickling her neck. She froze at the sensation, feeling his touch -albeit restraining- calm her.

 _Like it did back in Stella. How is he doing that?!_

Amalie nodded once and Gray released her. She retrieved her beer from the bar and stomped over to where Erza sat. The redhead grinned up at her.

"Nice work there. Technique was a bit sloppy, but it was entirely entertaining," Erza critiqued, laughing softly as her friend threw herself onto the couch beside her.

"You've fought Laxus twice now! Fight me!" Natsu whined from where he sat beside Lucy on the couch opposite.

 _Seriously? Is he that dumb?_ Amalie looked at Erza and raised her eyebrow questioningly. Erza rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly. _Guess so..._

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

"Makarov wants us to do a job with the Raijinshuu," Erza informed Amalie an hour later as she dug into the strawberry cake Mira had brought over with yet another beer for her friend.

Lucy still sat across from them but Natsu and Gray had gone off fighting each other.

 _Again. Will those children ever grow up?_

"What kind of job could the Raijinshuu need Team Natsu for?" the blonde wondered aloud.

Erza cleared her throat, and looked across at her friend guilty. "Not all of Team Natsu. I'm sorry, Lucy. He just wanted me and Amalie."

 _Natsu will cause way too much trouble,_ she added silently. As much as she loved the pink haired boy, his irresponsible handling of jobs was just too much of a risk for S-Class missions.

"Oh," her face fell before brightening up into her signature smile. "That's ok. I didn't know you were S-Class, Amalie!"

"It's not something I advertise," she muttered. She reached for her new beer and elbowed Erza. "Can we bring Gray?"

 _Oh, Gray, hmm?_ A smile crept up her face as she regarded the copper haired girl beside her. Amalie's already pink tinged cheeks went a darker red.

"It's not like that, Erza! He just... We'll talk about it later! Too many freaking dragons here! Besides, I'm sure Lucy wouldn't mind going on a mission with just Natsu."

"That's your last drink, Amalie," she commanded. The girl's slightly slurred response hasn't gone unnoticed. Nor had the eyebrow wiggle she'd given the blonde celestial mage. "It doesn't reflect well on the guild to turn up to a mission hungover. And Lucy, what is going on with Natsu? Has he been a pervert? Do I need to teach him a lesson?"

She pulled a sword out from nowhere as Lucy blushed bright red.

"I don't know what she's talking about!" Lucy denied, her voice high pitched.

"Sure you do. Something happened at the inn last night," Amalie teased.

 _What has he done this time?_ Erza wondered. _Walked in on her in the shower? Hopped into her bed without consent? Gone through her underwear drawer again?_

"Shut up!" Lucy squealed, her blush betraying her. "Nothing happened!"

"Lucy, I can't help you if you won't tell me what he has done. Did he hurt you?" Erza demanded, leaning in close to the celestial mage.

"No," she squeaked back. "We kissed."

 _Finally. Damn, why did I bet against that?_

The re-quip mage leant back in her seat, smiling. "It's about time. Looks like I owe Mira 10,000 jewels."

"You were betting on me?!" Lucy demanded in outrage but was ignored as Erza turned to Amalie.

"Wendy is back tomorrow. I'll ask her to heal your side before we leave," Erza told her. "She's a sky dragon slayer. Don't be rude to her."

"Holy shit. Has Makarov collected the whole dragon set or something?" the Change mage muttered in response.

Erza chuckled. "She's more mild than those testosterone filled males."

One of the aforementioned males collapsed into the couch next to Lucy, his pink hair wild and a few scratches and bruises marking his face. Gray sat on the other side of Amalie.

Erza glared at the Ice mage evilly. "Gray! Your clothes!"

 _How the hell does he always do that and not notice?_

"Right. Go home, get some sleep. Be here by 10 tomorrow," she ordered the now dressed Gray when he returned. She turned to face Natsu and Lucy. "Natsu, if I find out you've done anything to harm Lucy, I will punish you."

He genuinely looked scared.

 _Good._

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, so here goes a new chapter :) Thanks to the lovely people that followed and favourite my story... And apologies if there's too much OOC stuff... Rated M 'cause I'm sweary (but if you've got this far, you've already realised that) and because there's talk of torture and violence.**

 **Once again, I don't own Fairy Tail.**

 **Chapter 10.**

Gray was silent most of the walk home. Amalie bounced along beside him like she had that first evening, her cheeks lightly dusted with pink from the half a dozen odd beers she'd had.

 _So alcohol has the same effect on her as lightning?_

"What's happening tomorrow?" he asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

She hummed. "S Class mission with the Raijinshuu and Erza."

"Why am I coming?" he glanced down at her as her cheeks flushed red.

 _Interesting..._

"Because."

"That's not an answer."

"It's as much as you're getting."

 _Okay. New approach._

"Why can't Natsu, Lucy and Happy come?" he asked.

"Natsu's a pain in the arse and Lucy's too innocent," she replied. "And the cat draws attention like a giant flashing arrow."

"So why me then?"

She sighed. "Because."

 _Again with the answer that wasn't actually an answer._ Gray could feel his frustration rising as he led the way into his house.

"There are probably going to be death warrants issued for this job," she informed him quietly as soon as the door had clicked closed behind her. "Or I might kill Laxus if he pisses me off again."

Gray smirked at her words. Seeing the big lightning slayer get his butt handed to him by a girl half his size would keep Gray amused for a long time.

He turned to her. "So I'm supposed to tag along to what? Be his bodyguard?"

She giggled, a beautifully innocent sound that Gray found he desperately wanted to hear more of.

He reached out without thinking and snagged her arm, pulling her closer to him. The couple of glasses of scotch he'd had at the guild had definitely helped him relax, too.

She didn't resist and met his dark blue eyes as she looked up at him with curious green ones. Her hand pressed against his bare waist and he shivered, unsure when he'd lost his shirt but not really caring.

Carefully, he cupped her cheek and leant closer to press a gentle kiss to her lips before pulling back. Her bewildered eyes were still looking up at him, her cheeks flushed red.

 _Shit. Wrong move._

"Sorry," he murmured. "I just th.."

Gray was cut off by Amalie pulling her arm free of his grip and sliding her hand up behind his neck. She roughly pulled him back down and pressed her lips hard back onto his.

He snaked an arm around her bare waist, pulling her tight against him. She gave a small gasp against his mouth as his cooler skin touched hers and he slipping his tongue gently through her parted lips. She hesitated before opening her mouth more to allow him complete access, using her tongue to stroke his.

 _Maybe Lucy was right,_ he pondered as he thought briefly about their conversation on the train. _I am interested. I'm definitely attracted. She said she was staying in Magnolia._

Gray growled softly as Amalie's other hand slid lightly up his side and chest and over his shoulder. Her other hand stayed tangled in his hair.

They pulled apart slowly to catch their breath. Gray rested his forehead against hers, eyes closed, relishing in her warmth.

 _Perfect._ The thought shocked him. It had never felt like that with Juvia.

At the start Juvia had worshipped the ground he walked on, but by the end the tables had turned and he'd kind of felt like he was forcing his affections onto her. Admittedly, it had taken him a while to warm up to her stalker-like obsessive behaviour and reciprocate her feelings.

"Wow," Amalie whispered softly. Her hands slid from his shoulders to rest on his chest as she leaned back from him, but made no move to escape his embrace.

He looked down at her, admiring her peaceful face.

 _I wonder what colour panties she's wearing today... Dammit! Why the fuck would I think of that right now?! Stop being a pervert!_

"I-I'm just... I mean, I..." Her voice was uneven and her blush darkened, as she wiggled out of his grip. "Sorry. I need a shower."

Gray let her escape to the bathroom, wondering if that reaction meant she was as affected by that as he was.

 _Shit. I like her._

He sighed and made his way up to his bedroom. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

 _The castle throne room was silent except for the choked sobs coming from the copper haired woman. She was once the proud and much loved Queen Kallee, ruler of the Kingdom of Caros, but now she knelt on the cold stone floor, the body of a small dark haired boy lay motionless in her arms._

 _Several guards stood around her, unmoved by the obvious distress of the mother of the dead child before them._

 _"I found the last one, mother," a dark haired young woman announced, striding into the room with a girl in tow. She dragged her by her copper hair. "Are you still crying over Henry?"_

 _"Seraphina! How can you be so cold? You murdered your own father and brother!" Kallee's voice gained strength and condemnation. "And what of Amalie? She is your best friend! Is a crown really worth such sin?!"_

 _Seraphina gave her a feral smile as she dragged the girl's hair back to show her mother the bloodied face. "Tch. She always was your favorite, mother."_

 _Amalie's right arm hung uselessly by her side, her shoulder clearly dislocated from its socket. She held it by the elbow tightly with her left hand to support it. A gash ran through her bottom lip to the middle of her chin, whilst another one marked just under her left eyebrow. Her eye was nearly closed from swelling and had already begun to blacken._

 _"Amalie..." Kallee whispered, tears running down her face. She had seen her youngest daughter beaten before but never like this._

 _Seraphina bore no visible wounds so it had clearly not been a fair fight._

 _"I couldn't..." Amalie murmured back, her green eyes firmly fixed on her cold little brother in her mother's arms. "Henry?"_

 _The former queen shook her head. "You need to run."_

 _"Oh, mother. Stop with the theatrics. She's not leaving my side. Not now, not ever. Amalie will obey me," Seraphina spat at her mother, giving her sister's hair a sharp jerk. She didn't cry out._

 _Kallee met Amalie's gaze as she gave her final, quiet order. "Get ready to run. And don't stop."_

Amalie woke with a gasp, fighting the sheets tangled around her body as she reached for the knife hidden under the pillow. She lurched upright so she was seated, knife in hand as she scanned the room in a desperate sleepy haze for attackers.

 _I'm safe. I'm in Magnolia. I'm at Gray's._ She repeated the mantra in her head a few times, trying to convince her sleep addled mind of its truth.

 _I'm sorry I failed you and Henry, Mother. It's been a long one year, eleven months and three days since you died,_ Amalie thought. _Ugh. Why am I even counting that? Am I sure that's right? There have been a few times when days bled into nights, and nights bled into days..._

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. Fear still clung to her after the nightmare, as did confusion, and a residual pain throbbed in her long since healed shoulder and face.

 _At least it wasn't one of the screaming dreams._

They were the worst ones. They were generally the ones where she relived getting stabbed or shot or tortured, and woke herself up with her agonized screams.

Sighing, she untangled herself and slid from the bed. The lacrima clock beside the bed showed it was a little after 3am. She dropped the knife down beside it.

Opening the bedroom door, she was startled to find Gray. He looked just as shocked. His arm was raised like he'd been about to knock.

 _Crap. Maybe I did scream in my sleep._

"I didn't..." Amalie began, but was stopped by him grabbing her by the wrist. "Gray?"

He just shook his head and towed her across the hall into his room.

"Water if you want it," he muttered, pointing to a glass on the bedside table. His back was facing her but he still held her wrist gently. "And if you need someone, I'm here."

 _What is he insinuating?_

He let go of her and walked around to the other side of the big king bed, climbing in without looking back to her.

 _What have I got to lose..._

She reached for the water and emptied the glass, watching as Gray rolled onto his back with his hands resting by his side on top of the blankets. He still didn't look at her.

 _The ceiling must be incredibly interesting._

Amalie crept to the edge of the bed and slid in, allowing his scent to soothe her like it had earlier. Hesitantly, she reached for his hand.

"I'm sorry I woke you," she murmured as she laced her fingers through his. "So much for Erza's claim that you sleep like the dead."

"You didn't. I heard you on my way back from the kitchen," he replied softly, rolling his head over on the pillow to look at her. "My parents were killed too, you know. And then my teacher sacrificed herself to save me."

Amalie gazed at him, squeezing his hand gently.

 _Maybe he understands more than I gave him credit for?_

"Mother sacrificed herself to save me, too. That's how I got these." She ran her finger along the scar on her chin and then the one under her eyebrow.

She carefully wriggled closer to the Ice mage so she could rest her cheek on his cool shoulder.

 _I'll have to deal with Sera sooner or later, but will I be strong enough?_

She pushed the thought away and gave in to sleep as it pulled at her eyelids; held steady by the sound of Gray's deep, even breathing and the firm grip of his hand around hers.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11.**

Laxus arrived at the guild at eight. He wasn't a fan of mornings, but Mirajane's breakfasts made the early start worth it.

"Good morning, Laxus!" the she-devil greeted him with a wide smile, sliding a plate piled with bacon and eggs towards him as soon as he dropped into one of the stools at the bar. "Looking forward to your job?"

He just grunted at her.

 _It's too early for that much enthusiasm and goddamn chatter,_ he grumbled to himself as he dug into the food in front of him.

The guild doors opened again. He didn't have to turn - his dragon sense of smell told him immediately it was Amalie. He liked her smell.

 _It's like vanilla and rain on a hot day, blood, me and..._

"You smell like the human popsicle," he growled.

"Good morning to you, too." He could tell by her tone that she was smiling, deftly standing on her tiptoes behind him to pat his blonde head. "You're so cute when you go all protective. Or is it jealousy?"

 _Definitely not jealousy._

She giggled as he growled and gently smacked her hand away.

"Don't push it, kitten. You gave me this black eye."

She moved beside him, depositing his coat on the empty stool and reached out to grab his chin and turn his face to hers.

"You were being an ass," she retorted with a snort after examining the mark. "But I'll forgive you if you teach me some more lightning magic."

 _Smart arse. I should be demanding something for the shine_ r.

It wasn't much of black eye though, more just a darkened patch on the inside of one eyelid beside his nose.

Laxus turned his attention back to his food, as Amalie sat quietly beside him, greeting Mira happily when she placed a coffee in front of her.

She patiently waited until he'd finished before pushing him for an answer. "So?"

Laxus smirked down at her. "Fine. But we're going out to the fields. Can't have you destroying shit in here."

She smiled up at him and practically skipped by his side as they left the guild and walked down the path to the training field behind Fairy Hills.

 _It's good to have her back._ The thought shocked the lightning dragon slayer. Laxus put it down to brotherly concern. _It's not 'cause she's cute and kinda fucked up like me._

"Where do you wanna start, kitten?"

Amalie considered his question. "Channeling? I haven't really tried with anyone else since the last time I was here 10 months ago."

He reached out and she took his hand, green eyes closing as she concentrated on feeling out his magic.

They'd learnt she could channel other people's magic accidentally whilst on a job with the Raijinshuu... And destroyed half a forest with his lightning in the process.

It hadn't affected his magic levels at all but the uncontrolled burst had depleted hers nearly completely.

"Try and generate a lightning ball," he murmured softly, trying not to break her concentration.

She nodded, holding out her hand away from them. Sparks formed slowly in her palm as he could feel her fighting to stay in control of the unpredictable nature of the magic.

A whiff of smoky scent caught his nose, before he sensed movement.

 _Natsu._

Laxus watched as Amalie spun, also having sensed him, meeting the fire covered fist flying at them with her own. She threw her other fist with blinding speed at the dragon slayer's face and he went flying backwards across the field.

 _Idiot pyro, trying to surprise her like that,_ he thought with a smirk as Amalie turned back to face him.

"Where were we?" she asked lightly.

Laxus could smell the sweet scent of the slight rush of adrenaline that her brief encounter with Natsu had created.

He laughed and reached out for her hand again.

 _You can do it, kitten._

He could hear her soft, even breaths and watched as her nose twitched slightly.

 _Come on. Focus._

As if she could hear his thoughts, he sensed a slight swell in magic and the sparks moulded themselves into a small ball.

She slowly opened one eye, then the other, a smile brightening her face as she looked to Laxus for approval.

He grinned back at her. "Nice. Now, make it bigger."

A flash of pink and flame interrupted them again as Natsu once again tried to attack.

"For fucks sake," Laxus growled as Amalie turned, narrowly missing Natsu's fist as she tried to keep the lightning magic in her hand from dissipating.

 _Why the fuck can't he go annoy someone else?_

He moved forward but his little copper haired protege had already faced the fire mage, lightning ball gone and a furious look on her face.

"Are you that desperate to die, asshole?" Laxus heard her hiss as she leapt at him.

 _Ah shit._

Natsu managed to dodge several of her punches but was too slow for the last and went flying.

Laxus grabbed Amalie before she could keep going, bending forward slightly to murmur into her ear, "Come on, kitten. Leave it."

"I'm all fired up now!"

 _Seriously?! Is that fire fucker that stupid?_

As a fireball came flying at them, Laxus got his answer.

 _Yep, he's that stupid._ He sighed. _At least she doesn't have any weapons so she probably can't actually kill him._

He let it go on for a few minutes, until Natsu was thrown from the steamy haze they'd created and landed heavily on the ground.

Laxus took the opportunity to grab Amalie and used his lightning body magic to take them back to the guild, booming into existence in the middle of the hall with her locked in his arms.

People cowered at their sudden - loud - appearance, while Erza just looked up from her cake with mild amusement.

 _That woman has nerves of steel._

"Who pissed her off?" the redhead asked, her tone bored. "And why is she bleeding?"

 _Bleeding?_ She always seemed to smell slightly like blood but the metallic scent was a lot stronger on her now than it had been when she'd arrived at the guild. _Idiot! Why didn't I notice before?!_

"Natsu tried to get the jump on us when we were training," Laxus replied.

Erza just rolled her eyes in response and went back to her cake.

"You can let go of me now, Goldilocks," Amalie muttered, sinking an elbow into his side.

It didn't hurt the larger mage at all and he smirked down at her copper head in amusement. As much as he wanted to say something smart to her, he decided better of it and released his hold.

"Erza! Laxus! Amalie! My office! Now, brats!" Makarov's voice boomed through the guild.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Makarov had been notified about Amalie's 'death' by the magic council at midnight, and had managed to pull a few strings in the early hours of the morning to provide falsified birth certificates for the princess in his care.

He waited until the three brats had filed into his office and were seated before he perched cross legged on his desk and cleared his throat.

"Welcome to the family!" He announced, smiling at Amalie broadly as he handed over the documents he'd procured.

"But I'm already a guild member?" she responded, green eyes confused.

Laxus snatched the papers from her hands. "What the fuck is this, old man? 'Marley Dreyar'?"

Makarov nodded. He'd chosen the name of his favorite childhood Weekly Sorcerer model.

 _They both have great racks. And nice tight bodies... Mmm..._

"Gramps!" Laxus shook the old man from his pervy thoughts with his low growl. "Quit looking at your _grand daughter_ like that."

"Grand daughter?!" Amalie demanded, snatching the papers back off Laxus. Her eyebrows shot up high. "Um... What's going on, Master?"

"It looks like that planted memory spell worked - your death was announced last night. You can't just go running around with a dead girl's name so I pulled some strings."

"You told him about that?" she demanded, glaring up at Laxus.

"Like hell," he growled back at her.

"My dear, I know everything that goes on here. Even where your guild mark is," Makarov informed her with a wide smile. He drooled a little thinking about where that mark was.

 _So round and firm..._

"Fuck," Amalie muttered. She noticed the blonde man's questioning look. "Ask and die, Goldilocks."

Erza chuckled beside her, having been a part of the drunken group when her friend had received the guild mark.

"Now, my dear," Makarov began, his smile growing. "Let's discuss your hair."

Laxus grabbed her waist and pulled her to his side when she growled.

 _Such a good boy, looking after his Gramps' well being._

Makarov's smile didn't falter. "I think you'd make a great looking blonde."

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Lucy looked up as Erza descended the stairs, followed by the bored looking Lightning Dragon Slayer with his arm slung around the incredibly pissed off looking Change mage's shoulders.

 _This place is getting crazier by the day..._

"So...?" Mira's not so subtle whisper broke her from her reverie. "You and Natsu, huh?"

Lucy could feel her cheeks growing red.

The situation with Natsu was confusing at best. She'd woken up to him in her bed that morning, which wasn't unusual, but he hadn't made any other advances since he'd kissed her on the last job.

 _That amazing kiss_. She blushed even more thinking about it. _Maybe I need to make a less than subtle move to make him do something? Or was it just a heat of the moment kind of thing? Oh Mavis. Lucy! Get your mind back in the real world!_

"I don't know what you're talking about," she denied, her answer clearly not quick enough for the demon whose eyes were now filled with hearts. "We're team mates."

"Key word missing there was 'just', Lucy," Mira shot back, sidling off down the bar with a knowing smile.

 _Dammit._

Lucy leant forward to drop her forehead onto the bar.

"Jewel for your thoughts?" Gray's low voice greeted her.

She refused to look up as he sat beside her.

 _This is going to be so embarrassing! Mira's going to spread gossip about something that I don't even know is actually happening!_

"This have something to do with ash-for-brains?" he asked.

 _Yes._ "No."

Gray gave a soft chuckle. "I call bullshit, Lucy."

She rolled her head to look at him, taking in his smirk and dark blue eyes that seemed brighter than they had since the whole Juvia thing.

 _He looks... Happy? Content?_

"I don't know what you've heard, but don't you look like the exceed who got the cream."

He scowled at her and she smiled sweetly back.

 _Two can play at this game, dick._


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks again to the people following this story :) I'm having an absolute ball writing this but might be a little slow with uploads soon-ish (RL exams etc). Just started Chapter 294 of the Fairy Tail manga, which is essentially why I made the timeline of this inconsequential :)**

 **Chapter 12.**

Amalie had, incredibly grudgingly, agreed to a pale pink hair colour at Makarov's insistence.

Lucy had loaned the skills of her hairdressing spirit, Cancer, and her newly lightened locks were now piled up in a messy top knot bun.

 _Fucking pink. Stupid, girly colour._

She caught Erza's amused gaze as they sat opposite one another on the train and touched her hair self consciously.

 _I probably look as ridiculous as I feel..._

"It's fine," the re-quip mage assured her in her usual stoic way. "I'd be more concerned about the fact you're now related to Laxus and Master."

"Not helping, Erza," Amalie sighed, frowning as she glanced over at the black haired Ice mage beside her. He was reading the paperwork from Makarov. "It was the better of the old man's suggestions."

The Fairy Tail master's other suggestion had been marriage to Laxus (he was scared the big man alienated himself and would ultimately end up alone), and he'd bluntly ignored her when she pointed out that it would have been more realistic to say she was Bickslow's sister.

 _At least our eye colour nearly matches and I wouldn't have had to change my hair to something blondie. I could have totally pulled off a blacky red colour._

Fortunately, spending time with the little Sky Dragon while she healed Amalie's side - and the split knuckles she'd gotten from the brief fight with Natsu - had been less traumatic than the hair colour change. The small bluenette was sweet and much more affable than the obnoxious adult Dragon Slayer males.

 _And she doesn't smell as weird._

Laxus and the Raijinshuu sat in the booth behind Erza. The big Lightning Slayer didn't seem as affected by transport as the ignorant Fire Dragon.

"So what does all this mean?" Gray finally asked, handing Amalie's paperwork back to her.

"Simply that we refer to her as Marley outside of the guild," Erza supplied, giving the newest Dreyar a small smile.

"Do you care that you're not S-Class anymore?" he queried.

She shook her head. "Being S-Class just kind of happened. I never earnt it. Maybe Master will nominate both of us this year."

Gray nodded, shifting his attention to the view out the window.

 _Two more hours to kill... Hmmm... I wonder..._

"Gray?" he turned to look at Amalie when she spoke his name. "Can I try something?"

His gaze turned suspicious.

 _He's still mad I snuck out on him this morning..._

She'd woken up with a strange feeling of being safe. She lay beside him in much the same position she'd fallen asleep, but he'd rolled slightly to face her. Their fingers were still linked together and his other hand rested on her hip. His face had been resting lightly against the top of her head, his even breaths tickling her scalp.

Amalie had immediately tensed at his closeness and wiggled carefully from his grip to escape back to her own room.

 _Maybe I shouldn't have freaked?_

She shook herself back to the present and held her hand out to the attractive mage beside her. "Please?"

Gray hesitated before sliding his cool hand into hers, intertwining their fingers.

She peeked up at him through her fringe with a quick smile as her heart fluttered at the contact.

 _He has beautiful eyes._

"Maybe I should give you two some privacy," Erza's amused voice broke through her daze.

Amalie could feel a blush creeping up her cheeks at the insinuation. "Shut up, Erza!"

She held her free hand out in front of her, seeking the Ice magic that Gray possessed.

 _It's so... Calm and consuming. Like I'm looking into his soul,_ she thought with surprise as tiny puffs of snow swirled up from her palm.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Gray watched with a slight bit of awe as the tiny bits of snow increased quickly, swirling together to create a small snowball in her palm.

He could feel the essence of his magic running through her, but no pull on his energy at all.

 _Amazing._ He'd never felt a connection like that before.

"How did you do that?" he asked softly.

Amalie smiled up at him, her green eyes shining. "Apparently, I can channel elemental magic. You're only the second person I've tried it with."

"So that's what you and Laxus were up to this morning," Erza guessed, raising an eyebrow.

 _She bailed on me to see Laxus?_ Gray hated the way his stomach dropped at the thought.

He'd woken to an empty bed and house at nine. A large part of him had been hoping to wake up to her.

 _Stupid._

"Yep," the Change mage confirmed. "But lightning is... Difficult. I suppose it matches the person who wields it?"

Erza nodded before questioning, "What's ice feel like then?"

"Calm and kind of... Um..." Amalie answered the first part instantly, but faltered over explaining it further. She blushed deeply as she peered back up at Gray.

 _Intimate. It felt intimate. Does it feel like that with Sparky?_

He looked down at the hand he still held. She'd made no move to disengage from him and he wasn't in any rush to let go.

He met her green gaze again. "With Laxus..." he began, but was interrupted when she shook her head.

"Volatile. I struggle to even get an inch of control over it," she admitted. "When it happened the first time by accident, we were on a job and he grabbed me 'cause I got mad. Laxus said I did a Roar or something and blew up half the forest. I don't know. I passed out."

"Lucky we have fast reflexes," Bickslow's face popped up over the back of Erza's seat, tongue lolling out. "But Ever was pissed cause you messed up her hair."

"Got something you want to share?" Ever asked as she appeared beside Bickslow. She pointed at Amalie and Gray's linked hands. "Lookie, Bicks. They're holding hands. How sweet."

The snowball flew from Amalie's hand and hit the self appointed fairy queen in the face. She spluttered angrily. "You'll regret that!"

Gray felt Amalie forming another snowball - a smile growing on his lips at the sensation of her using his magic - and quickly created his own.

They exchanged a quick glance before unloading both at Bickslow, laughing as they hit the target. Ever quickly ducked back down into her seat to escape any further involvement.

 _When was the last time a train trip was this entertaining?_

Bickslow went to leap over the seat at them, but was stopped abruptly by the tip of Erza's sword being pressed to his throat. Another sword was trained at Gray and Amalie.

"Stop," she commanded.

"Yes, ma'am!" the three agreed in perfect synch.

Erza withdrew her swords.

"Payback is a bitch," Bickslow warned, grinning at them.

"Bring it, perve," Amalie retorted, smiling lazily back at him. He poked his tongue out in response and disappeared back behind the seat.

"Should I be worried?" Gray asked.

He saw Amalie exchange a grin with Erza.

"Nope," she replied cheerfully, gently sliding her hand out from his.

He hated the immediate disappointment he felt at the loss of her warm skin touching his.

 _Don't over think it. We kissed and she ran away. She slept in my bed and left before I woke. Maybe she's just as cautious as I am? Shit. So much for not overthinking this._

He watched as she pulled a blue sound pod from the pocket of her vest and her green eyes lifted to meet his. A light blush stained her cheeks as she gave him a tiny smile before turning away.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello again :) Two chapters to be posted today... Aaand this one has a little back story. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer - I don't own Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 13.**

"Can you please stop pacing?" Erza pleaded, her tone bored. "You're going to wear out the carpet."

She watched as Amalie ignored her, continuing to stalk up and down the room like a caged animal as they waited for Freed and Laxus to return from the meeting with the client.

 _What's got her so riled up?_

"There's a Dark Guild in this town," the pinkette said darkly, as if reading her friend's thoughts.

Erza shook her head and glanced over to where Gray was napping on his bed.

 _Where did his damn clothes go?! I swear he was fully dressed like ten minutes ago! He even strips in his damn sleep!_

She picked her favourite sword and a soft cloth up. There was nothing more relaxing for Erza than cleaning her vast amount of weaponry. The re-quip mage sighed happily as the steel began to shine again under her careful hand.

"Where are they? They said an hour!" Amalie growled, whirling to change direction.

She'd been growing increasingly irritated as every minute ticked past after the specified hour had expired.

 _Sera really has turned her into a rabid hunter. I didn't want to believe Laxus when he told me... Maybe I should just knock her out... It works on the idiots at the Guild..._

Erza carefully placed her sword back onto the bed and stood.

A knock at the door interrupted her plan.

"Finally," Amalie's snarl echoed the redhead's thoughts as she threw the door open.

Evergreen and Bickslow stood in the hall.

 _Wrong Raijinshuu_ , Erza thought but used the distraction to drop her armored fist onto the Change mage's head.

"What the fuck, Erza?" Bickslow demanded, moving across the threshold to catch the girl before she hit the ground.

"Her impatience was annoying me," the redhead stated matter-of-factly.

"So you knocked her out? That's rough, even for you, Titania," Evergreen commented in a low voice.

Erza just shrugged and moved to the side so they could enter. She watched as Bickslow carried the girl to the empty bed and unceremoniously dumped her onto it.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Laxus could hear them talking in the room before he'd even entered the hotel, thanks to his Dragon Slayer hearing.

 _Stupid meeting took too long for only one death warrant. This job'll be a piece of piss. Home on the last train tomorrow night._

He cocked his head as he entered the lobby; something wasn't right.

 _I can only hear Erza, Gray, Bicks and Ever..._ An annoyed growl escaped his throat as he took off ahead of Freed, taking the stairs three at a time.

 _They'd better not have let her out._

Four sets of eyes turned to stare at him as he slammed the door open.

"Where the fuck is she?" he growled as he stormed in, glaring at them.

"Chill, boss man," Bicks told him lazily, not moving from where he lounged on the chair in front of the desk.

"She's right there," Ever explained in a bored tone, waving her fan towards the beds. "Erza knocked her out."

 _Knocked her out?!_

Laxus stalked over to the couch and grabbed Gray by the scruff of his shirt, dragging the Ice mage to his feet.

"Explain! You're here to keep her in control. Do your fucking job! She no good to us asleep."

The smaller man met his furious glare with his own coldly defiant one.

"Keep her in control?" he queried with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "I thought I was here to keep her from handing your arse to you again."

"Insolent little mother fu..." his roar was cut off by the feeling of cold steel being pressed to his throat. He glared down at the re-quip mage who dared interrupt his tirade.

"Sit down, Laxus," she told him calmly.

He grudgingly released Gray and did as he was told.

Titania wasn't the type of woman to be messed with, even by him.

Freed arrived at the moment, depositing the pizzas onto the coffee table.

"What did you mean by keep her in control?" Gray persisted, flopping back onto the couch beside the angry Lightning slayer.

"Ask her," Laxus grunted. "I ain't sharing."

 _No way in hell am I spilling any more of her secrets. Damned tiny thing dented my fucking pride last night with her sneak attack._

"You can tell him," a soft voice broke through Laxus' thoughts. He turned to see the pinkette dragging herself up off the bed, glaring at the redhead as she rubbed the lump on the crown of her head. "Erza, that fucking hurt!"

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Amalie rubbed her head where the re-quip mage's fist had struck her.

 _Probably deserved it,_ she supposed but wouldn't ever tell her friend that.

"It was necessary," Erza confirmed, stoically, as she helped herself to more pizza.

"It's alive!" Bicks joked, lolling his tongue out at her.

"Alive, alive," his totems echoed from where they sat on the desk behind him.

She gave him a tiny smile and moved across the room to settle herself on the arm of the couch beside Laxus. He wrapped a protective arm around her waist and looked up at her.

"Everything or just the magic thing?" the blonde man queried, his tone unusually soft. Amalie snagged the piece of pizza from his hand and nibbled at it. She wasn't hungry but hadn't really eaten since lunch.

"Just the magic thing for now. The rest is too..." she trailed off, finishing the rest in her head. _Macabre, confronting, horribly real and desperately sad._

"Okay," Laxus agreed. "But can you move next to the stripper? The stench of his jealousy is pissing me off."

 _Jealousy?_ She looked curiously over to see a slight pink coloring the Ice mage's cheeks. _Interesting..._

She smiled to herself and gave Laxus' overly muscled shoulder a quick squeeze when he released her waist before moving to the other arm of the couch.

"So you know about her primary magic, her sister killing their parents and little brother, the unsavory 'jobs' and then Sera trying to dispatch of her, too?" the Lightning Slayer questioned.

 _I didn't tell him about Henry,_ Amalie realised. She avoided discussing it at all. _Discussing means acknowledging and he was too young, too innocent._

Gray nodded, fortunately not asking about the additional family member Laxus had mentioned.

"Okay, so there's a secondary magic, too. A blood magic. It gets passed down to the eldest daughter when the matriarch dies. Turned out Sera was Amalie's half sister."

"All the females in my bloodline are trained to be assassins," Amalie added quietly. "The magic helps that. It gives you a better edge on stealth and accuracy and endurance."

"So what's the issue with it?" Gray asked.

 _Everything._ She wasn't sure how to explain the uncontrollable blood lust she sometimes experienced in battle when she wanted to kill every enemy standing or the overwhelming thrill of hunting someone who tried to run from her.

"It was never meant for a seventeen year old," Laxus supplied. He'd caught her eye when she faltered at his question. "It's meant for someone older whose senses have dulled. It's hard to control when emotions are involved."

"It makes her crazy, but not in the 'hot-in-the-bedroom' kinda way," Bicks added, grinning at the pinkette.

 _Thanks, Bicks, you enormous perve,_ Amalie thought as she poked her tongue out at him.

"Which is why we were surprised when Amalie calmed as soon as you grabbed her off Laxus last night," Freed spoke for the first time.

Amalie saw Gray's focus flick to the green haired mage as he considered that revelation.

"And that's why you're here," Ever finished, flicking her fan around her fingers in irritation. "Now can we start talking about the job?"


	14. Chapter 14

**Second chapter of the day... Starts with a lil GrayXOC fluff (mixed with some naughty thoughts), then some pervy Laxus thoughts and the next chapter will be a fight :) Hope you enjoy x**

 **Chapter 14.**

The sun crept lazily through the blinds, bathing the room in a soft glow. The increase in light roused Gray gently, as did the persistent tickle at his nose. He sleepily opened one eye, and pale pink filled his blurry vision. It was only then that he noticed the firm, warm heat pressed to his chest and wrapped in his arms.

 _Amalie?_

She definitely hadn't been in his bed when he'd gone to sleep after the lengthy tactical planning session with the Raijinshuu the previous evening.

 _She snuck out to do a patrol or something even though Laxus forbid it,_ he remembered as he glanced at the clock lacrima. It read 8:03.

Gray had been just about to flush the toilet when she'd slipped quietly back in through the bathroom window. They'd both started when the saw each other, but had fortunately made little more noise than a soft gasp and a quiet yelp so hadn't managed to wake Erza.

 _That was only three and a half hours ago. I need to bust her sneaking back in more often if it means she'll get into my bed._

He smiled lazily to himself and buried his nose back into the nape of her neck, inhaling her vanillary scent as he held her closer to him. She stirred slightly and he became painfully aware of the hardening in his boxers.

 _Fucking morning wood. Goddamn it. Go down!_

The bathroom door opened and closed softly, and Gray remembered they weren't alone.

 _Shit. Erza._

He carefully slid the arm wrapped around her small waist out. Extracting his other arm would be more difficult; it lay under the pillow beneath the pinkette's head and her fingers were intertwined with his.

 _Damned if I do, damned if I don't,_ he mused. He resigned himself to the latter and rolled over to lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling. _At least this way I won't be poking her in the back._

"Gray?" Amalie's voice was a sleepy whisper.

He hummed in response, not moving as she released his hand and rolled around to face him.

"Sorry for scaring the shit outta you this morning," she mumbled.

Without thinking, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side, chuckling as he pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

He felt Amalie's nose run along his jaw as her lips lightly brushed the side of his throat and he shivered slightly. He tried not to imagine how those lips would feel on various other parts of his body.

 _Stop being a perve or you'll be stuck in this bed until Erza leaves!_ He told himself sternly. _But if Erza leaves... No! Stop it! Think of something else!_

The bathroom door opened again.

"About time you two woke up," Erza's tone was amused. He could hear her going through one of her ridiculous amount of bags.

 _How much luggage does that woman need?!_

Amalie looked up at him with a small blush, unaware of his internal battle to keep her in the bed with him, before she snuck a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth and slid out from under the covers.

He admired her lithe body as she stretched. Her singlet hiked up to reveal the scars that littered her back.

 _Thank Mavis she wore more to bed than me._

He admired the sway of her hips and the curve of her butt as she moved to where her pack lay.

"Gray, you've got a little something..." Erza teased. When he looked over at her, the redhead was smirking and pretended to wipe the corners of her mouth. She'd definitely caught him ogling.

He felt a blush colour his cheeks.

A sheathed knife flew at the re-quip mage from Amalie's direction and Gray laughed as Erza caught it and tossed it back.

"Right. Well, I'm just gonna jump in the shower" he asked, slipping from the bed to grab his bag. He held it nonchalantly in front of him to hide the half mast still in his pants.

"Make it a cold one," Erza teased.

 _I'm never gonna live this down. But it was definitely worth it._

He closed the bathroom door with a smirk as the redhead threatened to take the knife if it was thrown at her again and Amalie fired back that she had plenty more where it had come from.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

The seven of them stood in an alley a few blocks from the dark guild on the cusp of dusk. The mayor had quietly had the townspeople within a blocks radius of the dark guild moved while the job was being completed so the streets were pretty empty.

"So, Freed set up runes to trap them in their Guild this morning. Anyone without the guild mark can enter and leave," Laxus summarised. He'd gone through all this last night but felt it necessary to rehash the plan. "If you get hurt, get back over the boundary as soon as you can. From Amalie's... Intel... There are only three or four that we need to be really concerned about. The other twenty odd are lesser mages."

 _Fucking Amalie. I told her not to go out last night,_ he thought, still furious at her for completely ignoring his orders, as he leveled the pinkette with a glare. She smiled back at him smugly. _But she had to go ahead and do it anyway._

She'd 'gifted' him at breakfast with the location of one of the dark guild members that she'd obtained at some point after the Raijinshuu had left.

 _I don't even want to know how she got her hands on him._

The man had been a lesser mage and looked scared half to death when they'd found him gagged and tied up to a tree deep in the woods.

"Only the master has a death warrant," Freed added, looking pointedly at the two women brandishing physical weapons. "If you kill any others, it'll be deducted off the reward."

Laxus nearly grinned as Erza pouted. It was such a rare facial expression for the re-quip mage. Amalie just glared at Freed from beside the redhead, her sweet smelling adrenaline adding to her normal heady scent.

 _I wonder what she smells like when... Fuck. Seriously? Stop being pervy, brain, she's like your sister._

The Lightning Slayer tried to shut off his obscene train of thought, succeeding after a final mental note that she had a great rack.

"Right. Kitten, go high and clear us a path to enter, okay?" he asked, being careful to look her straight in the eye and not let his gaze wander to the swell of her chest.

She gave him a brilliant smile and took the quiver of arrows Freed offered her.

Laxus suspected the green haired mage had written no kill runes into them but knew better than to question the competence of a member of his team.

He watched as Amalie quickly scaled the building up the downpipe.

 _Her arse looks great in those leggings... That's it. It's official. I'm going straight to fucking hell._

"See you in a bit, guys," She called, giving a quick wave before pulling her bow from where it was slung across her shoulder. She disappeared from view across the rooftop, footsteps silent even to a Slayer's hearing.

"Let's get this over with," Laxus ordered gruffly.


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks again to the people that have followed/favourite-d this story :) Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Chapter 15.**

The sunset was a brilliant shade of orange, casting long shadows as the sun gave way to the moon.

Amalie jogged along the rooftops until she reached the edge of Freed's border spell.

Below her, a group of eight mages stood on the opposite side of the invisible wall.

 _Lesser mages,_ she thought carelessly as she notched an arrow into the bow. _Poor bastards won't know what hit 'em._

She loosed the arrow, pulling another out straight away and firing rapidly until the entire group had all fallen. The last three had tried to run but hadn't gotten far.

 _That was suspiciously easy._

Carefully, Amalie dropped from the roof down to the road. She approached the fallen mages cautiously, ensuring she stayed outside the perimeter.

They weren't moving.

 _Eh. No harm in grabbing my arrows before the others catch up._

She squatted down and reached out her right hand to grab at the arrow protruding from the mage closest to her.

Her fingers tingled as they touched the boundary and stopped.

 _Dammit!_

"Laxus!" she screamed, trying to yank her hand free. "Freed! We have a problem!"

Mages started swarming out of the Guild.

 _I can't pull my katana free with my left hand! Shit!_

"Laxus!" Amalie yelled again.

She scrambled for the small knife she kept sheathed in the top of her boot.

 _Not much but it'll do damage_.

Her neck prickled as a burst of static electricity built up and the big Lightning Slayer crackled into existence beside her.

"What's the problem, kitten?" he growled.

"I'm stuck," she replied simply.

 _Isn't it obvious?!_ she thought with annoyance. _Like I'd just be crouching around like this casually waiting!_

His expression changed from annoyed to exasperated as he finally noticed her hand touching the barrier. "Why did you have to touch it?!"

She shrugged, calmer in the face of the oncoming mages now that he was there. "Dunno. It just kind of happened. I figured that if the arrows passed through it..."

"For fuck's sake," he grumbled, interrupting her. He leaned down and grabbed her wrist roughly, trying to yank her free.

"You're hurting me," she whined. "Oh, and I think this could be a trap and those eight mages I took out were just bait."

Laxus have a guttural growl. The dark mages were only a few meters away now.

There were footsteps behind them as the rest of their team caught up, just as the word 'explosion' flew at them from the dark guild side of the barrier.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Gray had managed to throw up an Ice shield to protect himself, Erza, Ever, Freed and Bicklsow from the explosion as soon as he heard Laxus yell about the script magic.

The barrier shattered like glass, throwing the Change mage and the Dragon Slayer back from the pressure of the blast.

 _No!_

Fear clawed at his heart as he dropped the shield and moved to get to her bloodied, prone body but he was stopped by an armour clad hand.

"Enemies first," Erza told him gently. "They'll be alright. They've had worse."

 _Right. She'll be fine. She has to be._

He reluctantly followed the re-quip mage's lead, moving forward to engage the dark mages.

Between the five of them, it was a fast battle.

He mainly stuck to his Ice Bringer attack; the combat was far too close for the bigger Ice-Make spells and he didn't want to risk accidentally hitting his comrades.

As he fought his last advisory, he could hear decidedly colourful language behind him and smirked as he struck a hard blow to his opponent's head.

 _Sounds like she really is okay..._

The man before him fell and he turned to see Amalie holding a fistful of Laxus' shirt. The much bigger blonde man was leaning down so their faces were on the same level.

"What the hell? Why didn't you move, you imbecile?" she was yelling.

Gray sweat dropped. _I thought me and Natsu were bad..._

"Why did you touch the fucking barrier?" Laxus roared back.

"You were taking too fucking long and I wanted my arrows!"

"Arrows?! You nearly got us blown up for arrows?!"

"You should have gotten out of the way!"

"Are they always like this?" Gray asked Bickslow as he moved to stand beside him.

The Seith mage's tongue lolled out as he smiled. "Well, they haven't hit each other yet, so it's not quite a party."

 _Poor Lucy. We do this to her every mission. Nope, we do act like this every day._

He felt slightly guilty about his and Natsu's behavior now he was witnessing it first hand.

"How much do you have to spend on clothes?" Evergreen asked as she approached, a smug smile on her face as she leered at Gray. She winked at him. "Not that I'm complaining about the view."

He looked down to see he only wore his pants. _For the love of Mavis! At least I'm still wearing pants!_

He looked around, trying to locate where his shirt and jacket had disappeared to.

There was a loud thump and he looked up to see that Erza had dealt with Amalie and Laxus in exactly the same way she dealt with him and Natsu; by slamming their foreheads together.

 _Ouch._ Gray rubbed his own forehead lightly in sympathy. _I know exactly how much that hurts._

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Once the mages that had attacked them were tied up and secured, Laxus lead the way into the Guild.

 _Thirty four outside but I didn't detect anyone too strong,_ he mused. _There should be a Fear mage in here somewhere._

He sniffed, trying to locate the scent of the four stronger mages they'd been told should be here.

A scent of wildness mixed with vanilla and blood hit the Dragon Slayer's nose.

 _Shit!_ He turned to see a feral smile plastered on Amalie's face as she slid her fingers along the katana's blade.

"The Guild Master ran. Fancy coming on a hunt, Goldilocks?" her voice was cold and completely void of emotion as she drew runes in the air with her bloodied fingertips. "Equis."

 _Of course that prick ran._

Laxus didn't question how she knew it; her sense of smell rivaled his Dragon senses at times. He watched as she was engulfed in magical smoke that quickly cleared to reveal a large black horse.

It pawed the ground with its big front feet impatiently.

Laxus turned to face the Ice mage.

"Gray. You're with us."

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

"I'm not sure how I feel about this," Gray muttered, eying the big black beast that Amalie had transformed into suspiciously.

The horse just snorted at him and threw her head up impatiently, pawing at the ground with her front hooves.

 _Riding that... Her... Would be just plain fucking weird..._

"Fine. We don't have time for your pansy shit," Laxus snarled, his body crackling with magic as he prepared to go into Lightning Body.

Gray sighed. _Fine._

Grabbing a fist full of black mane, he vaulted up onto the horse. She barely waited for him to settle before surging into a gallop out of the Guild.

Bickslow had to leap out of their way, but the Ice mage suspected that was deliberate on Amalie's behalf when the horse snapped out at the laughing Seith mage with her teeth as they passed.

Gray leant close to her neck and held onto her mane as she powered through the forest beneath him.

 _I've never seen this spell but it's strong... How long had she held this form when she got to the Fairy Tail?_

The back of his neck prickled as he sensed another mage, just as a tall man with dark hair appeared from the shadows and reached out a hand towards the horse.

In the blink of an eye, Gray found himself sliding along the ground, limbs tangled with Amalie back in human form. Instinctively, he held her closer to his chest before they came to a stop; Gray's head mere inches away from the thick trunk of a tree.

 _That was close._

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? A Hunter and her mate," the man's voice was low as he approached them.

 _Hunter? Mate? What the fuck?_

Gray could feel Amalie's chest vibrating as she let out a growl and struggled free of his grip.

He pulled himself to his feet as the pinkette crouched defensively in front of him, her right hand on the katana at her back.

"Master Warren of Dark Eclipse Guild," she snarled at him. "You have a warrant issued for your death."

He just laughed, ignoring her words. "Little Hunter, you would make the perfect addition to my Guild."

"Like hell," Laxus voiced Gray's thoughts as he boomed into existence and threw his lightning encased fist at the dark guild master.

The attack only just missed its target and Laxus roared in fury.

"And a Dragon Slayer? This will be interesting."

The dark mage waved his hand towards Gray and the Ice mage's vision suddenly tunnelled into darkness.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello again :) Thanks to the new people who have favourite/followed this story, and to the guest who left a lovely comment - I'm having so much fun writing!**

 **Hope you enjoy this instalment :)**

 **Disclaimer - I don't own Fairy Tail :/**

 **Chapter 16.**

 _Gray was back in Magnolia and in bed in his room._

 _"What the hell?" he wondered out loud._

 _He slid from the bed, not bothering to put anything else on other than the boxers he was already wearing, and opened the bedroom door. Across the hall, the spare bedroom's door was wide open._

 _"Amalie? You there?" he called, crossing the hall as he spoke._

 _The room was empty except for the bed and chest of drawers._

 _Moving into the bathroom, he saw a note stuck to the mirror._

Gray, You weren't there when I needed you, so I've left both you and Fairy Tail. Don't try and follow me. Sorry, A.

 _"What?" he asked out loud in confusion._

 _The message was identical, word-for-word, as the note Juvia had left him except for the obvious 'I' and 'me' references instead of the third person references the water mage seemed so fond of._

This can't be real. There's something weird going on here.

 _He ran from his house towards the Guild. The normally bustling streets were unusually empty, the air still and quiet._

 _The silence was beginning to unnerve him. He needed his friends like he needed air. They were his family and all he had after Deliora had taken his parents and then Ur. He couldn't be alone. Not now. Not after everything he'd fought to have._

 _Bursting into the Guild, he was horrified to see the bodies there._

 _Lucy slumped against the bar, her blonde head stained with red. Natsu impaled on the wall near the stairs._

 _His parents and Ur in a rotting pile on one of the couches._

All the people I couldn't protect.

 _He mentally shook himself from that train of thought and fought back against the darkness trying to suck him down._

I am not alone! I will never be alone! This is not real!

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Amalie heard Gray, and then saw Laxus, collapse to the ground.

 _No!_

"What have you done to them?" she snarled, drawing the katana. She glared at the man.

"What I'm about to do to you, Little Hunter," Master Warren replied, his tone bored.

A vision brushed at her mind like a memory.

 _She sat beside Seraphina on their thrones in Caros. Amalie looked older, thinner, defeated..._

"No," she growled.

 _That is NOT my future! I will not be controlled!_ she fought back at her own mind with determination as she imagined herself older and at Fairy Tail laughing with Laxus, Gray and Erza.

A look of amusement crossed the other mage's face. "You're stronger than those two. But so am I."

He raised a palm at her and she felt a surge of magic.

The forest around her faded into darkness.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

 _When Amalie's eyes opened, she could see a copper haired version of herself standing in the forest with Gray and Laxus, both men in defensive stances and glaring at her._

What in Mavis is going on here?

 _Laxus threw a lightning attack at her image but she deflected it with a laugh and charged at him, katana in hand._

 _Gray launched an Ice Javelin attack at the image but she dodged it._

 _"No!" Amalie screamed, trying to move forward. Her body was as heavy as concrete. "Laxus! Move!"_

 _He couldn't hear her and with a sickening noise, the katana slid through him._

 _Amalie screamed again, fighting against her uncooperative body to reach him as he fell onto his back, clutching at the steel protruding from his chest. Her image stood over the blonde._

Why am I doing this?

 _More ice attacks flew at the vision Amalie in rapid succession and she turned to look at the Ice mage with emotionless, glazed eyes before launching at him._

 _Amalie tried again to move to stop the attack but she was too slow._

 _"No! Run, you baka!" she screamed at Gray. He didn't acknowledge her. "Why can't you hear me?"_

 _Vision Amalie's speed was impossible and she knocked the dark haired mage to his back, straddling him when he fell._

 _She tried to grab the vision's shoulder as her hands latched around Gray's throat, nails digging into his neck, but her hands were as solid as a ghosts._

No! Why is this happening? I can control myself! I'm not like this!

 _Gray fought against the vision but his blows barely moved her._

 _Amalie kept screaming at herself to stop until her voice was hoarse and tears ran down her cheeks._

 _The vision just kept squeezing even as his fighting became weaker and then stopped all together._

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

The green canopy of the forest came back into view as Amalie blinked several times.

 _How long was I out?_ she wondered, her mind disoriented as it tried to refocus back on reality.

She realised her hand still gripped the hilt of the katana as a flashback of it buried in Laxus' chest assaulted her mind.

 _I killed him. I killed one of my best friends._

She released her hold on the weapon, bile rising in her throat.

Master Warren stood over her, an ugly expression further marring his already unattractive face. Magic essence whirled around him.

In her peripheral, she saw Gray lurch upright as an icy blast knocked the dark mage off his feet and away from her.

 _Gray's alive? But I killed him, too._

"Amalie! You gotta snap outta it!" Gary's deep voice urged her. "He's got Fear magic. Whatever you're seeing, it's not real."

 _So Laxus isn't dead?_

As if to answer her silent question, she heard the crackling lightning that only came from the blonde's attacks.

"Come on, kitten! Get. Up." the Slayer's voice ordered, thunder booming as he released another attack.

Amalie dragged herself to her feet. Her body felt strange, as if she weren't completely in control.

 _Kill them,_ a voice purred in her head. _Protect the Master._

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

The dark Master stood back up following the blows by Laxus and Gray. He turned to face them.

 _At least Amalie's standing,_ Laxus thought with some relief. He didn't notice Warren's newest attack until ice smashed it away from him. _Shit! Pay attention!_

The Ice Make mage had woken from the spell just before he had, much to the Slayer's annoyance.

 _I'm stronger! I should have been able to break out of it first!_ The illusion had essentially been Laxus' version of hell; he had been weak, both physically and magically, and rejected by his beloved Fairy Tail.

"Gray, let's end this!"

The Ice mage grunted in agreement.

"You're not strong enough," Warren sneered.

"Only in that fucked up illusion you made me have," Laxus growled, shooting lightning at him. "In reality, we're Fairy Tail mages - of course we're strong enough!"

There was a flash of pink and Amalie crouched between the blonde and the dark Master.

 _She absorbed the attack?! Is she defending him?!_

"What the fuck are you doing, kitten?"

She ignored the question, gloves on her hands turning to shiny steel, and launched herself at Laxus.

He held her off, noticing the blows lessening and her speed decreasing after the first few hits.

 _She's fighting to get control of herself._

Realising this, he stopped fighting back defensively.

A punch to his side caused his ribs to lance with pain. He gritted his teeth and then he smelt it; the wildness of blood magic. This time, though, it overpowered every pother scent on her.

 _Good girl. You're stronger than that bastard, but fuck your punches hurt._

Shock registered on Amalie's face and she whirled away from Laxus.

Warren barely had time to put his hands up in front of himself before she had him straddled on the ground.

"Fuck you and your magic, you piece of shit," she snarled.

The Lightning Slayer didn't need Dragon hearing to detect the sickening noise of bones shattering under her steel covered fists as she drove punches relentlessly into his face.

The dark mage fought back but the small Change mage barely noticed it as he threw fists at her face and scratched at her arms.

She couldn't hear anything past the cold fury that Laxus could smell pouring from her.

"Amalie. That's enough," Laxus commanded, grabbing her narrow shoulder. She stopped her assault, but made no move to get away from or attack him when he touched her.

 _This is new..._

Confident she wouldn't react, he wrapped an arm around her waist and easily lifted her up off Warren.

 _She still smells wild. But it's more like the way..._

"You smell kinda like Kallee used to," he told her. Kallee had smelt amazing; wild, but safe and calm. He couldn't explain it.

Her voice was quiet. "I accepted my magic. You're really alive? The illusion... I-I..."

She turned to face him, burying her face into his chest as her hands fisted into his shirt.

 _Ice stripper is quietly going ape shit with jealousy,_ he thought with barely concealed pleasure as he smelt the other man's displeasure. He met Gray's cold gaze and smirked.

 _Suck shit._

Laxus could hear the tortured, ragged breathing. The dark guild master's face was barely recognisable as he lay in the ground beside them.

 _Better finish this off,_ he sighed to himself as he reluctantly pushed Amalie away from him. She moved back slightly but still gripped onto his shirt. He grabbed her chin gently, taking in her scratched and bruised, blood spattered face and messy pink hair.

"You look like hell, kitten."

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks and hello to new followers :) :) :) And a quick shout out to - Thankyou for your review :) I will try and write a lemon in the next Chapter (I'm going to need the assistance of a lot of wine to get over my shyness about actually doing it!)**

 **This Chapter has a bit of backstory (I'll be writing Cobra in cause I think he's fab and he has a terrible sense of humour that I appreciate), innuendo about things to come and Laxus being a bit of an ass.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 17.**

"Was it completely necessary to beat him beyond recognition?" Doranbolt complained, examining the body that the Lightning Dragon Slayer dropped near his feet with disgust.

He had been dragged from his bed and sent out with the Rune Knights to arrest the dark guild members that had been terrorising a town.

 _Can't say the bastard didn't deserve it but now I'm gonna have to get tests done to confirm his identity and do more paperwork,_ he grumbled to himself with a frown. _Fucking Fairy Tail being excessively violent. They could have at least waited until morning to pull this shit._

"He messed with my cousin. It was self defense," Laxus told him with a shrug. He reached over and dragged the pinkette from where she stood close to Gray's side. "This is Marley. Marley Dreyar."

Doranbolt raised an eyebrow as he took in the blood spattered, scratched and bruised girl. _So she is alive after all. Should have known Fairy Tail would be involved somehow._

He'd collaborated quite a few times with the young assassin whilst she was a princess of Caros; mainly to assist with the retrieval and relocation of 'bodies' before Seraphina had caught wind of what was really going on and assigned guards to make sure the targets she set were actually dead.

 _She saved a lot of people despite her sister, but she needs to keep off the Council's radar and blend in more._

"Pleasure, Miss Dreyar," he addressed her, meeting those alluring emerald eyes with his own. "Ask Porlyusica for eye drops. The hair isn't quite enough. And I'll have some work for you soon."

"Starting rate is one million," she told him brazenly.

"You're rate has increased," he noted with a smirk.

"So has the risk," she countered, with a small smile of her own.

He saw the look of confusion mirrored on both Laxus and Gray's faces at the exchange.

"How do..." the Slayer began but was cut off by Erza.

"If that's everything, we're going to head back to our hotel," the redhead addressed Doranbolt.

He gave her a curt nod and watched as they departed. The pinkette met his gaze and offered him a small smile.

"I won't do any work near Caros' borders," she informed him. "And Sera has had the castle magic proofed with nullifying lacrimas."

 _Of course she has._ Doranbolt had suspected she'd do as much since the previous Queen had nearly blown up the entire castle to give Princess Amalie time to escape.

"Be careful," he advised. She waved him off with a flick of her hand and jogged to catch up with her team.

 _This is definitely an interesting turn of events. He will be very happy to hear that she's alive..._

 _.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:._

Amalie rested her forehead on the cool tiles as the hot water from the shower pounded her shoulders.

 _Seeing Mest... Doranbolt... Was unexpected. It's been over a year._

She'd had to tell the team about the history she shared with the councilman when they'd gotten back to the hotel, and then spent the next few hours out patrolling even though it wasn't necessary.

 _Old habits die hard, though._

She sighed, reflecting again on the illusion the Fear mage had inflicted. It would probably become an unwelcome addition to the plethora of nightmares that already plagued her.

 _I feel different now, though. Not so afraid of losing control of myself._

She turned the shower off and quickly dried. Her arms were covered in little nicks from the barrier exploding like glass and there were two long, ugly gouges down one forearm from her fight with the Master. Her face and neck weren't much better; both bore nicks from the barrier like her arms and a bruise was slowly blackened her jawline.

 _Laxus was right. I do look like shit. Not that I'm gonna tell him that. His ego really needs to go on a diet._

The clock tower chimed four times as she pulled on a white singlet and black yoga pants.

She peeked out the bathroom door into the room and giggled at the sight of Erza laying on her bed, snoring lightly and cuddling her favorite sword like a teddy.

 _She must miss Jellal, but seriously? Cuddling a sword?! I wish I had a camera lacrima..._

Gray lay on top of his bed, arms crossed behind his bed. His black hair was a wild disarray, framing the angles of his handsome, sleeping face.

Amalie crept over and perched on the edge of his bed. Carefully, she smoothed his hair from his forehead, gaze drifting down to admire his bare chest and toned stomach.

 _It should be a sin for someone to be that freaking sexy even when they're asleep. He's good enough to eat._

Her eyes fixed on the muscled V at the bottom of his stomach and she mentally pictured herself actually touching and kissing his body.

 _He looks like he'd be well endowed. Oh Mavis, I'm being a filthy pervert! But it's a damn shame he's wearing boxers... The things I could do if he was... Stop it, brain! Oh my god._

She could feel a blush heating up her face as she dragged her eyes from his body and back to his face.

Dark blue eyes, heavy with sleep, met hers. _Busted._

"Uh... I... Um...Shit..." She stumbled over her words and felt her blush deepen as he said nothing, a lazy smirk creeping onto his lips.

 _Screw it. You only live once,_ she decided and leaned forward quickly to press her mouth to his before she lost the courage.

Gray responded instantly. A hand slid up into her damp hair and he used his other arm to pull her down against his chest.

All thoughts fell from her mind as she melted against him.

His teeth lightly nipped her bottom lip and he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

She hummed as their tongues fought for dominance, her fingertips exploring the smooth skin of his lean muscled shoulders and chest, sliding down to the grooves of muscle on his stomach.

"Amalie. Stop," Gray told her, gently pushing her back. She gave a soft whimper and gazed down at him with a pout.

 _Why did he pull back?_ Her mind demanded. _It was just getting good._

He cupped her chin and she flinched when he accidentally put pressure onto her bruise.

"Sorry. Not here," he murmured, pulling her down for another brief closed mouth kiss. "Erza..."

 _Oh, oops!_ Amalie felt her face heat up again as she became painfully aware of his erection pressing into her thigh.

Gray chuckled softly and rolled slightly so they were both facing each other on their sides, legs tangled. He brushed his lips across her forehead. "When we get back..."

She nodded, snuggling her face into the crook of his neck. He pressed his face into her hair and she hummed in contentment.

Sleep captured Amalie quickly and she willingly sunk into it.

 _.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:._

The train ride home was hell.

 _I'm going to kill you, Goldilocks,_ Amalie thought furiously. She deliberately tapped her foot impatiently, knowing it would irritate the Lightning Dragon Slayer who'd deemed it appropriate to take up the seat beside her and prop his head in her lap. His moaned as his head bounced on her thigh.

"You're an asshole, you know that right?" Amalie demanded, green eyes flashing. She fixed her eyes on the Seith mage across from her. "Bicks, swap with me."

"No way, kitty cat," he told her with his signature smile, tongue lolling out.

"Kitty cat, kitty cat," the totems chirped from their resting place in his lap.

 _I'm gonna rip that tongue outta his mouth._

"Can you stop?" Laxus growled, gently pinching her leg. "You're being annoying."

 _Game on, dick. I can be a lot more annoying._

"You're the one who saw fit to lay on me," Amalie growled back. "Why couldn't you just sit up and listen to your freaking sound pod like usual?"

He turned slightly and have her a sickly, lecherous smile. "Cause your lap looked comfy."

 _At least he's not as vocal or bad about travel sickness as that annoying Fire Slayer._

She flicked his forehead hard and he scowled. "I pity the simple minded harlot that those kind of pathetic pick up lines work on."

Looking up, she could see Gray glaring at the Slayer from where he sat beside Bickslow.

Laxus noticed him and growled again. "What are you looking at, popsicle?"

She grabbed a fistful of his blonde hair and gave it a sharp tug at his unnecessary rudeness.

"Dunno - shit isn't labelled," the Ice mage responded nonchalantly with a smirk.

Bickslow and Amalie roared with laughter.

 _Gray - 1, Laxus - 0_

"You'll regret that, stripper," the Slayer snarled.

"That's enough of that, beasty," the pinkette chided, tapping Laxus' nose. He snapped his teeth at her.

 _Okay, now that was just plain rude._

"Erez," she muttered, touching his forehead with her pinkie.

 _Better for him to not remember being angry when he wakes up._

She exchanged an amused look with Gray and then pressed her middle finger to the blonde's forehead. "Sleep."

"Why didn't you just do that from the start?" Bickslow asked with a grin.

"Because it's more fun to bait him for a while and then get rid of the evidence?" she responded with a grin of her own.

The Seith mage just laughed.

 _.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:._


	18. Chapter 18

So here goes the next instalment and only 4 days after Chapter 17 so I'm feeling pretty dang proud :) Almost a lemon (I chickened out and decided to chuck a little drama in there instead!)... But there will be more action soon :)

 **Chapter 18.**

The outskirts of Magnolia were sunny and welcoming when the train finally arrived in the early afternoon.

Gray couldn't wait to escape the metal box of hell. Mercifully, Laxus had slept for the remainder of the journey, drooling on the leg of Amalie's jeans. She'd absently rubbed his head with her eyes closed and sound pod on.

Gray was feeling pretty pissy about the Lightning Slayer's proximity to the girl, and of her returned affection to him despite wanting to kill him earlier.

 _They're like siblings,_ he tried to reason with himself.

He'd never felt that burning annoyance about another male being near or touching Juvia, and it made him question how he'd really felt about the Water mage. He wondered if it had been that her persistence and reliability that he'd clung to, rather than her, because he'd lost his parents and then Ur and Lyon. It had been nice to feel needed and missed, but then she'd left and he'd lost that stability of being relied on.

 _I don't know what to make of Amalie, though. She's scary strong, even when you can see in her eyes that she's breaking inside._

She hadn't shared with him the vision that the Fear mage had inflicted, but she blatantly refused to touch the katana so he guessed the two were related. He wouldn't push it, though. It wasn't his style to force people into admission of things they weren't ready to confess.

 _And I'm not ready to push her away if she reacts badly. Especially after what happened this morning,_ he reflected. He'd spent longer in the shower than either of the women so he could take care of himself before the long haul home. _I can't even remember the last time I was with a woman._

There had been no one since Juvia despite the fact that before her, and before Loke became Lucy's spirit, he'd been a total womanizer.

 _Not half as bad as Loke,_ he acknowledged with a smile to himself. _That lion's a total man whore. He puts the whole of Blue Pegasus to shame and there are four of those perverts!_

"Can you help me wake this baka up, Gray?" Amalie's sugary sweet tone shook him from his thoughts. Her eyes danced with mischief. "I'm thinking that he's looking a little... Dehydrated."

He grinned at her, knowing exactly what she meant. "You'd better be ready to run. I'll grab your bag."

"Screw this... I'm outta here," Bickslow told them with a grin before exiting into the main aisle. He knew what Amalie was about to do - they'd both collaborated on similar pranks before to anyone foolish enough to fall asleep around them.

She nodded, slapping a hand over her mouth to stop laughter escaping, as Gray formed a large ice ball and held it out to her.

The train screeched to a halt, having finally arrived at the station, and he grabbed their bags.

 _This is going to be fun..._

He watched as Amalie held the ball over the Slayer's head and changed the ice to water.

Laxus leapt up with a furious shout, throwing his fists around blindly, but the pinkette had already moved. Gray grabbed her hand and they raced from the carriage, nearly mowing down Evergreen, Freed and Erza in their haste.

Ignoring the angry yells, they didn't stop running until they were safely at his house. Once inside, they both collapsed, panting and laughing uncontrollably.

"Did... Did you... See... His... Face?" Amalie gasped, dissolving into another fit of laughter.

"He's... Gonna... Kill... Us..." Gray managed to respond, hardly caring.

 _How long had it been since I laughed this hard?_

He got control of himself and looked over at her. Tears of laughter ran down her cheeks as she calmed down to a giggle, her pink hair flowing around her shoulders in damp waves.

 _Mavis, she's beautiful..._

She'd ended up nearly as wet as water had soaked her white singlet, revealing a black lacy bra and a generous swell of cleavage underneath. His breath hitched.

 _Holy shit, she's got a nice rack._

His gaze moved up to her face, realising she was looking at him with the same wanting he'd seen that morning.

He closed the space between them and wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing his mouth crashing to hers. She responded instantly, her fingers burying into his hair as she kissed him back hungrily.

Gray groaned into her mouth as their tongues tangled and her nails gently scratched his scalp.

His fingers curled around the hem of her singlet.

 _Closer. I need to feel her closer to me._

She reluctantly untangled her fingers from his hair, pulling back from his mouth just enough so he could tug the wet clothing over her head. As soon as it was gone, she pressed back against him.

He marvelled at how warm and smooth her skin felt against his, despite her many scars, as he broke away to trail open mouthed kisses down her neck.

She tilted her head to the side to give his clearer access and her throaty moan sent heat straight down to his already aching member.

He nipped at her collar bone, earning him a gasp, before she pulled his head back gently by his hair to claim his mouth again.

Her hands moved slowly down his chest, gently tracing the dips of his muscled stomach before coming to rest on the waistband of his boxers.

 _Crap... Where did my pants go?!_ he wondered, not really caring as she rolled her hips gently against him. He slid a hand down to her backside and cupped a cheek, giving it a gentle squeeze. His other hand pulled her tighter to him as he unhooked her bra.

He groaned as her breasts sprung free and he slid the lacy material down her arms. She gazed at him as he admired her, expression unreadable.

 _Gods..._

He leaned forward to capture her lips again as his other hand caressed the hardened peak of her breast.

Amalie moaned into his mouth, the slight vibrations of it going straight to his groin and making him even harder than he thought possible.

"Gray-sama!" There was an urgent pounding at the door. "Juvia needs to talk with you."

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Gray stiffened at the woman's voice and moved away from Amalie. She immediately felt the cold sting of rejection.

 _What the fuck? Who the hell is that?_ She wondered as she crossed her arms across her chest to try and cover her modesty, feeling a furious blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Gray sama?" she questioned quietly, raising an eyebrow at the honorific.

He shook his head, face grim, before pressing his lips to her forehead quickly and pulling one of his white shirts over her bare shoulders. "I'm sorry. Please. I'll get rid of her."

"Gray-sama! Open this door now!" The woman on the other side of the door was practically screaming now.

 _Who is she to him? Girlfriend? No, he wouldn't do something like that... Would he?_

Amalie searched his face trying to find guilt, but it was only defeat and sadness that replaced the desire that had been burning in his eyes just minutes earlier.

 _Trust him,_ the rational part of her mind pleaded.

 _Do you really want to be hurt again? Run before it's too late,_ the irrational side argued.

Gray pulled her to her feet.

"Ten minutes," he pleaded, hugging her to him tightly before releasing her.

She nodded, turned and raced up the stairs, pausing at the top to see what the new threat to her fragile happiness was.

A blue haired girl launched into the Ice Make mage's arms as soon as he opened the door, knocking him back a few paces.

 _Mine,_ her brain snarled jealously as she glared down at them. To his credit, Gray was trying to shove the bluenette off him.

Amalie sighed and trudged to her room, closing the door quietly. She wasn't sure what to think.

She felt connected to Gray in a way she'd never experienced; just his scent and touch calmed the angry storm that was always so close to breaking through the surface of her calm.

 _I've already lost my family, my home, my name. It feels like I'm slowly losing my mind. Am I strong enough to let myself fall if there's a risk of losing him too?_

The bluenette's interruption made her unsure if Gray felt the same or if it was just purely lust.

 _Eight minutes,_ her mind updated. She wasn't sure how it had happened but she'd always been acutely aware of time.

She pulled off her boots, damp jeans and panties, opting for a pair of simple black knickers, skinny leg cargos and high top runners.

 _Five minutes._

They were still arguing as she pulled on a clean bra and shirt. She could hear Gray's angry shouts but couldn't make out his words.

Three minutes remained as she slid open the window.

 _I'm not running away, I'm just checking my escape options,_ she reasoned with the part of her that was fighting to stay and wait for Gray - for an explanation - as she leant out to inspect the alleyway below.

She roughly braided her hair, pacing the room, trying to keep herself busy.

A door slammed and she heard Gray's feet pounding up the stairs.

Her body moved immediately, throwing open the door and stepping into the hall.

Surprise was visible on his face at her sudden appearance but he didn't hesitate to catch her chin in one hand.

The kiss was desperate and rough, but it felt like everything to Amalie. It felt like she could breathe again and her mind practically purred with contentment.

When Gray pulled back, he rested his forehead to hers. "I was worried you'd left," he admitted, his voice hoarse.

 _Worried?_

Amalie reached up to gently stroke his cheek. "I thought about it."

He pulled back, dark blue eyes searching hers.

 _He's as confused as I am?_

She pulled his face gently down to press a kiss to his forehead. "I don't think I could, though. It's strange."

"Juvia... She's my ex. I think she only came back to fuck with me because she heard about you. She left me," he told her, his tone bitter. He wrapped an arm around Amalie's waist and pulled her close before burying his face into her neck. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this."

Her arms automatically slid over his smooth, slightly chilled skin to wrap around his waist.

"We all have pasts," she murmured into his ear, repeating and accepting what he'd told her in Stella after the fight with the bandits. "Let's head to the guild? I'm starving."

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Erza had just settled down with her strawberry cake when she heard Natsu's challenge of a fight.

An instant later, the dim wit's body crashed to the table in front of her.

 _Every single fucking time!_ She thought furiously, looking at her ruined cake.

"S-s-sorry E-Erza," the Dragon stuttered, licking some cake off his fingers despite the scared look he was giving her.

"Every time, Natsu! Every single time! What. Is. Your. Problem?!" Erza demanded. She punched the idiot, sending him flying.

Another slice of cake appeared in front of her as Amalie slipped into the seat next to the redhead.

"I take it Laxus hasn't exacted his revenge yet?" She asked the pinkette, with a smile.

 _The prank of the train was hilarious. Laxus was so pissed off. He looked like a drowned Exceed._

The Change mage shook her head, smiling wolfishly. "I'll make sure to include you on the next one, oh mighty Titania."

Erza grinned at her, recalling the previous war that she'd started with the leader of the Raijinshuu during a two week job they'd done together.

To be fair, Laxus had started it when he'd hidden a few of the re-quip mage's suitcases. She'd retaliated by mixing his body wash with a blue dye and it had spiralled out of control from there, finishing only when both S Class mages had duelled and knocked each other out simultaneously.

"So where did you and Gray run off to, huh?" Amalie blushed slightly and Erza smirked. "Details."

"I'm not giving you details!" She squeaked, her face growing even more red. "Besides, we got... Interrupted."

"So I'm not going to be an Auntie any time soon?" Erza pouted.

 _They would make the cutest black haired, green eyes babies. Oh shit. I'm turning into Mira._

"Can you not! This place is filled with bloody Dragons!" She demanded, her face somehow managing to get even redder, before muttering, "Juvia."

Oh... OH!

"Shit," she cursed. An idea popped into the rehead's mind. "How about we have a girls night? We haven't had one in ages! And Lucy needs cheering up. Something happened with Natsu and she's moping at home. I swear that idiot wants me to kill him."


	19. Chapter 19

Oh hai :) I felt pretty inspired by Dfields3710's review that I couldn't help myself with this! I'm also not a Juvia fan (but then again, I didn't like Lucy in the anime because of her annoying voice, but I like her in the manga!), so I felt this chapter was definitely in order to tidy a few things up...

Also a thanks to the Yuki Dreyar for leaving a review - I'll try and be quicker on updates!

 **Chapter 19.**

"He called her a Hunter. And referred to Gray as her mate," Laxus all but growled.

Once he'd dried off, he'd decided to talk to his Grandfather about the job.

He had always been protective of the pinkette, and the incident with the dark Master had made him realise his own jealousy in regards to the Ice Make mage. He'd always just assumed he'd be the one to claim her when the time was right.

 _All that mate shit is just a fucking myth,_ he decided. _I've slept with enough women that I'd have found mine by now if it was a reality._

"A Hunter, you say?" Makarov mused, rubbing his chin. "They're rare. More so than Dragon's because it's a bloodline magic."

Laxus grunted. "And the mate thing?"

Fairy Tail's Master regarded his grandson with a raised eyebrow and innocently asked, "What about it?"

 _Screw you, old man._

"Is it true?" the Slayer demanded.

Makarov just shrugged annoyingly. "Dunno. That's anyone's guess."

 _Wildness and vanilla. And the fucking stripper._

Her scent was unmistakable, and mixed with Gray it was nearly unbearable. He opened the door before she had the chance to knock.

"Kitten," he greeted.

"Goldilocks," Amalie responded, reaching up to pat his cheek with a smile. He swatted her away, but at the same time was delighted by her gentle touch.

He watched her as she crossed the room to hug the Master.

"Right. Well, I'll be off," he tried to excuse himself but was stopped by the pinkette's small hand grabbing his forearm.

"Can you stay?" she pleaded, her voice soft.

He regarded her with raised eyebrows but closed the door and sat back down in the armchair. She perched on the armrest.

 _What's going on?_

"Doranbolt arranged for these from Porlyusica," Makarov told her, handing over a small package. "Eyedrops and a sleeping potion. Child, if you need to talk, I am always here."

"Thanks," she murmured. "I don't know what Sparky told you about that Fear mage..."

"I was weak and rejected by Fairy Tail," Laxus interrupted. "That was what he tried to make me believe."

 _She might as well know._

"I killed you. You and then Gray," her voice was a whisper.

Laxus grabbed her chin, examining her ashen face.

 _So that's what it was._ He'd assumed it would be something related to Seraphina or her family. _I didn't expect that._

"The katana?" he demanded before chastising himself. _Of course it was the fucking sword. That's why she wouldn't touch it._

Her nod confirmed it. "Did you get rid of it like I asked?"

He hadn't. He'd given it to the Iron Dragon Slayer, Gajeel, to remodel into a new sword.

 _No way was I getting rid of it. It's all she has left of her father._

"Gajeel is creating you a new sword from it," he admitted.

She looked at him with surprise. "Why?"

Laxus just shrugged. Then he smelt it.

 _Rain and frangipani. Ah shit. What's Juvia doing back here?!_

Amalie caught the scent and a low growl of anger escaped her lips.

"Am..." the Slayer was cut off when he realised she'd already sprung for the door and thrown it open.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Gray had been fighting with Natsu when he heard the voice.

 _What's she doing here?!_

In his distraction, the Fire Slayer managed to land a punch to his face and sent him sprawling back onto Erza's table.

"Erza... It-it was Natsu..." He scrambled away from the re-quip mage as a deathly aura surrounded her due to the destroyed cake.

"Gray-sama, are you okay?"

"What the fuck, Juvia?" the Ice mage's attention was pulled from the redhead as the Water mage latched herself onto his arm. "Wasn't I clear enough before? You left me! You don't get to just come waltzing back!"

 _I told her about Amalie! I told her I wasn't interested! I shoved her out of my fucking house and slammed the door!_

"Gray-sama should have followed Juvia! He should have proved that he cared!" she shrieked back.

"I don't play those games!" he snapped back. He tried to shove her away from him. Just her touch made him feel sick now. "I loved you and you left."

There was a shout from upstairs and Amalie landed in a crouch beside him, having apparently foregone the stairs and vaulted the railing. Fury was etched all over her face as a dark aura surrounded her.

 _Shit, shit, shit! This is not going to end well!_

She launched at Juvia, bodily tackling the bluenette. They landed a few feet away, Amalie straddling the Water mage with a hand wrapped around her throat and face pressed close to the bluenette's so their noses were touching.

"Don't touch him," the Change mage snarled. "Do not show up unannounced at his house! Do I make myself clear?!"

 _Mate_. The word sprung to Gray's mind. _The Fear mage called her a Hunter and referred to me as her mate._

"Love rival!" Juvia had recovered enough from the shock of the tackle to scream back. She used Water Body to escape the Change mage's grip. She solidified behind the pinkette and hit her with Water Cane. She screamed in anger and turned to face the Water mage, a feral smile on her lips.

"I'll destroy you."

Juvia lashed out again with the Cane, but Amalie just swatted it away like it was an annoying fly and kicked the bluenette before she could liquify again.

Gray moved to stop them but was stopped by Gajeel grabbing his shoulder.

"Leave em," the Iron Slayer ordered.

"Why aren't you doing them?" he demanded. "Juvia is your friend."

"Gihihi. She is but Pinky is acting like a Dragon. Hell, she even smells like one. Juvia went to your place, didn't she?"

The Ice Make mage nodded, stunned by the Iron Slayer's apparent friendliness.

 _I've never even heard him say this much to Levy..._

Gajeel chuckled again. "We're territorial bastards. Pinky's fighting Juvia to establish dominance."

 _I guess that makes sense._

No-one else moved an inch to stop the fight from progressing as the two women brawled until the Master arrived beside Gray.

"If you're going to fight, do it outside!" the diminutive man screamed, his angry face a glowing red, swatting the women from the guild with a giant hand. "I'm sick of you brats destroying the Guild hall!"

Predictably, the entire guild followed them. It was a common occurrence for Gray and Natsu to fight, but two women was out of the ordinary.

 _And the Guild's filled with perverted men,_ the Ice Make mage thought sullenly as he followed them out.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Amalie's blood was singing. Her mind felt clear, focused, determined.

 _Anger doesn't normally have this much clarity,_ she reflected.

 _This bitch needs to learn her place,_ a voice in her mind purred. _She needs to submit to us._

Smelling the other woman on Gray had irritated her, but then seeing her holding onto him in the Guild had destroyed the control she'd had over her rage.

"Water Lock!"

The sphere of water captured Amalie in it. For a brief moment she struggled, panicked at the sensation of being unable to breathe, before calming.

 _Stupid girl. She created magic for me to use._

"Change: Lightning!" She dropped from the now harmless sphere, coughing up some of the water she'd swallowed, and cradled the magic in her hands.

The lightning tingled against her skin pleasantly as she held it.

Without consciously deciding to, she shaped the magic like she would if she were holding her bow and aimed it at the Water mage. "Lightning Arrows!"

She released and a stream of golden arrows flew at the bluenette.

 _What the fuck was that?_ Amalie demanded. _I've never learnt that!_

The voice chuckled. _You're a Change mage. We can manipulate caster magic. The only limit is your imagination. Now move!_

Whip like streams of water came flying towards her and she had to dig deep to leap out of the way.

Reaching for one as she moved, she managed to just brush it with her fingertips but the touch was enough to turn it to ice.

There was a scream of fury as the other whip slashed at her.

 _She's fast._

Amalie struggled to get closer as she tried to avoid the sharp water. Her fingers bled from where she had made contact with the other whip.

"Water slicer!"

"Change: Snow!"

She pounced through the clouds of sleet she'd created by deflecting most of the attack, her left hook punch connecting solidly with the Water mage's face.

 _Of all the days not wear my damn gloves! That fucking hurt!_ The pinkette nursed her hand briefly.

"Juvia will not stop! She will prove to Gray-sama that they belong together!" the bluenette proclaimed as she staggered back to her feet.

"You talk too fucking much," Amalie snarled. She leapt at her again, hoping she'd turn to liquid like she had before.

The pinkette threw another punch at her, her fist going through the Water mage's body.

 _Too predictable,_ she thought as she dropped to the puddle on the ground around the other mage's feet. "Change: Lightning."

Juvia's screams were like music to the voice in Amalie's head.

 _I don't know why you resisted me for so long. We work well together,_ the voice practically purred at their victory.

Released from the spell, the bluenette's unconscious form dropped to the ground.


	20. Chapter 20

Thank you to the Guests who took their time to read my story and kindly left reviews :)

17 favourites and 26 follows! I'm in shock and extremely grateful - I never thought that many people would be interested in this xo

So here's Chapter 20 (aka "Illustre's FIRST dabble at writing anything remotely lemon-y" so please be kind!)!

Disclaimer - I don't own Fairy Tail

 **Chapter 20.**

The fight had been pretty brutal but necessary, according to Gajeel. He'd filled Wendy in on what had happened as he carried Juvia up to the infirmary as she hadn't been at the Guild to see it herself.

 _Never threaten a mate. It's pretty much the first law of Dragons,_ she thought to herself _. Even though she's not actually a Slayer._

She had wanted to attend to the pinkette, who smelt so much like her Dragon Slayer kin, first but she'd insisted on her attentions going to the unconscious Water mage.

"I have a high pain tolerance. It's just an irritation, really," Amalie explained as she laid back on one of the infirmary beds. "And half these cuts are from the mission."

"I know. I healed Laxus this morning," the Sky Slayer replied.

 _She's got more scars than anyone I've ever seen,_ she thought. _And she always smells of sadness._

"You look exhausted, onee-chan," Wendy observed, her young face concerned as she took in the dark circles under Amalie's eyes.

The older girl looked at her in surprise and she wondered briefly if she'd been too familiar as a blush coloured her cheeks.

"Sister?"

The small bluenette giggled. "Well, you smell almost like a Dragon Slayer. It's different to my brothers, but it's still like them."

"I just thought Dragons smelt strange, but I guess you're right," the Change mage muttered back, watching Wendy as she worked.

 _She needs to sleep... Being that pale isn't natural._

"Sleep, onee-chan. I'll wake you when I'm done here," she offered, smiling at the pinkette.

"Thank you, Wendy-chan."

The youngest slayer smiled to herself at the returned verbal affection and listened to her breathing even out.

Wendy suspected the girl had an immensely complicated past, not that she'd admitted so much in the two times they'd conversed, but outright asking about it wasn't within her nature.

 _Maybe she'll trust me enough to tell me someday,_ she thought with a smile.

She finished with Juvia and moved to Amalie's side. The older girl was twitching in her sleep.

 _I wonder what she's dreaming? Carla does that when she's asleep..._ Wendy thought with a small smile.

She gently shook the pinkette's shoulder, not expecting the other mage to react badly, and let out a short scream when a hand shot out and grabbed her throat.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

"Everyone knows you didn't mean it. You know that, right?" Gray asked, leaning against the doorframe as he examined the girl sitting on the bed in his spare room.

 _She's been sitting there for two hours._

"You just gave Wendy a shock. You didn't actually hurt her."

He felt bad for the pinkette, and furious with Laxus and the Master for not warning their small resident healer about Amalie's nightmares.

"I saved people from Sera, you know. Before I started having to kill them," she spoke softly, as if to herself. "Mother only ever gave me twenty three death warrants to fulfill."

 _Twenty three sanctioned assassinations is still a massive number._

Gray said nothing and moved to sit on the bed beside her. She held onto the small green sleeping potion Porlyusica had given her, staring at it intently. He reached over and wrapped a hand around both of hers.

She flinched at his touch but didn't move away. "Three of the stupid bastards that me and Erik and Mest got out of Caros went back and got caught."

 _Erik?_ That name was familiar and he couldn't stop from asking, "By Erik, you mean Cobra?!"

"The one and only. I know he attacked you guys when he was part of Oracion Seis but he's different now. Still can be a total prick, though," she told him, but her laugh was humorless. "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

She regarded him with emotionless green eyes that were filled with tears.

Gray wrapped his free arm around her and pulled her close into his side, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll listen to as much as you wanna tell me."

"Mother pretty much blew up half the castle to give me an escape route. Sera magic proofed it with lacrimas afterwards so she has more control. She had me beaten for deceiving her, then chained me up and made me watch her slowly torture then execute the guys she caught."

 _Holy fucking shit._ He had no other words to address that sort of brutality. _Her own sister did that?_

"Another time, she broke my fingers because I tried to use a sleep spell on her to escape. She threatened to kill Laxus unless I came back after she cut my throat and when I did, she stabbed me in the thigh so I couldn't run. She... She broke our little... My little brother's neck," her voice cracked as tears ran unchecked down her cheeks. "I'm not weak. She's just stronger, more brutal. And she enjoys inflicting pain."

 _No wonder she has nightmares. Shit._

He fiercely wanted to protect her from the pain of what she'd already been through, and was still going through.

He wiped her wet cheeks with gentle hands.

"I don't know what to say to that," Gray whispered. His hold on her had gotten increasingly tighter as she'd been talking and he'd practically pulled her into his lap. She trembled slightly in his arms. "But I know you can beat her if the time comes. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for."

She grabbed onto the collar of the shirt that he was still somehow wearing and pulled him down to kiss her then. It was frenzied and desperate. He melted into it, groaning as she twisted in his lap to straddle his hips. Gray's hands moved down to grasp her backside as she rolled her hips to grind against his rapidly growing erection.

 _Is this wrong after the day that we've had? For this to be our first time together?_ He wondered briefly but forgot about it as he felt Amalie's fingers fumbling to undo the buttons on his shirt. He moved his hands up, pushing hers away and ripped the shirt open, not caring as he heard buttons scattering onto the floor.

 _I'll probably lose or destroy it at some point anyway... Might as well be now._

She hummed as her hands ran across his now bare skin as she pushed the shirt from his shoulders.

He pulled away from her mouth, trailing kisses and nips down her neck and collarbone as his hands slid up her back under her shirt.

She'd had a shower when they'd gotten back from the Guild and her clean grape-and-vanilla scent was intoxicating.

"Gray." Amalie purred his name as she pulled the singlet over her head. He was transfixed as her bare chest appeared before him again. She gasped when he ran a thumb over the hardened peaks of her breasts, her fingernails scraping his scalp lightly.

 _Gods, I want her._

He groaned. "I swear, if we get interrupted again I'll kill someone."

"I'll help you hide the body," she whispered, giggling, before nibbling at his earlobe. Her hands drifted to his pants, fingers steadier than they had been with his shirt as she undid them.

He hooked an arm around her waist and turned to lay her back onto the bed, moving back to stand and slide his pants and boxers off.

She stared unashamedly at his erect member, blushing when she looked back up at his face.

 _So beautiful._

Gray gently nudged her legs apart so he could kneel between them. He leaned over her, kissing her mouth then trailing down her neck. He ran his tongue slowly around one nipple and then the other, his touch hardening them once again. Amalie arched her back and moaned softly. He resumed his path down, tracing the scars on her stomach with his lips as his hands hooked into the waistband of the leggings she wore.

 _Fuck, does she own any underwear that's not lacy?_ he groaned to himself as his fingertips brushed the material. _How the hell am I meant to focus on jobs now knowing that?_

He looked up to see her watching him with heavy lidded green eyes as he slid what remained of her clothing from her long smooth legs. He paused to kiss the inside of one of her ankles before leaning forward to reclaim her mouth.

He slid his hand down through the curls that were the same rich copper her hair had been and gently slid a finger down into her slick folds. She moaned again and lifted her hips as he circled her clit, nails scratching lightly across his shoulder blades.

 _I can't wait anymore._

He growled and positioned himself at her entrance. Her legs wrapped around his hips, encouraging him to continue.

He pressed his forehead to hers as he slid into her slowly, revelling in her tightness.

"Gods, Amalie," he groaned. She arched her back again in response with a moan, pressing her breasts into his chest, as he buried himself up to the hilt.

He slid out slowly before snapping his hips forward and burying himself deep into her again.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

They'd built up a steady rhythm, with every thrust from Gray making Amalie's coil wind even tighter.

She wasn't a virgin; it had been one of the first things she'd dealt with when Sera had gained control. A virgin princess commanded quadruple the jewels as an impure one did, and Amalie refused to be sold as livestock for her sister's gain.

That act itself had been purely physical, though. There was no buildup, no emotional attachments.

 _The complete opposite of this,_ she reflected as she met Gray's gaze. He pressed another kiss to her mouth, changing the angle of his next thrust just slightly and she almost lost hold of her grip on sanity. She whimpered slightly.

He lifted her thigh up so he hit the same spot again.

 _Oh, Mavis! I don't know how much longer I can hang on!_

He pressed deep into her, grinding slightly against against the small bundle of nerves above her entrance, and it was her undoing. A shudder ran the length of her body and she could feel her walls clenching him as he stayed buried deep within her.

"Gray!"

Her fingers dug into his muscled back as she fought for breath against the waves of ecstasy.

He growled and buried his face in her neck as he thrust one more time, the clenching of her orgasm triggering his own as he exploded inside her.

 _Wow... That was... Wow._

Amalie smiled into his shoulder when he collapsed gently onto her, gliding her fingertips back and forth over his smooth back. She could feel the indents from her nails and couldn't help but feel a little proud.

They lay like that for a few minutes in silence, catching their breath.

Her mind felt blissfully empty.

Gray pulled himself up onto his elbows, kissing her lazily, before rolling off and pulling her into his side. He reached over to the nightstand to retrieve the small green vial.

"I'm scared if I take it I'll get stuck in a nightmare," she whispered.

"I'll be right here," he whispered back, smoothing damp pink hair from her face.

 _I should take it. If only so I can be trusted around poor Wendy again._

She sat up and carefully took a small sip before handing it back to Gray.

 _Please let this work. I can't remember the last time I slept more than four hours._

"Will you be here when I wake up?" her voice slurred slightly. He moved her so she lay with her back snug to his chest and his arms around her.

"I promise. Now sleep," he murmured, gently trailing kisses down the side of her neck.

Her eyelids felt like lead. She could hardly keep them open.

"Thank you, Gray," she managed to whisper before the potion took full effect.


	21. Chapter 21

Thank you again to new and existing followers :) Hope you like this chapter...

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail :/

 **Chapter 21.**

Amalie was greeted with the sight of Gray's bare chest as she slowly opened her eyes.

She was curled into his side with her head on his shoulder. He was reading while absently tracing patterns on her arm and shoulder.

 _I thought it was just a dream,_ she thought with a smile as she remembered what had happened the previous evening.

"Morning," she whispered, burying her face into his neck sleepily.

 _Mavis, how does this man always smell amazing?_

He chuckled. "It's actually afternoon."

She hummed and nipped gently at his collarbone, not caring that it was later in the day than she'd thought as he pulled her tighter to him.

She felt good, better than she had in years, and she wanted to feel more.

"You've been asleep for three days."

That got her attention.

"Three days?" she repeated incredulously, lurching up so she was seated. She looked down at the soft blue shirt covering her chest. "You dressed me?"

Gray chuckled again. "Yep. I figured you probably wouldn't want that pervert Laxus to see you naked. Nice guild mark, by the way."

She felt her face go red. "I was drunk when I got it. It was Cana and Erza's idea. Mira did it."

He snagged the collar of the shirt and pulled her back down to him for a lingering kiss.

 _Mmm... I could get used to this..._

"Why was Sparky here?" she asked, sitting back up.

"He came with Wendy. I called her when you wouldn't wake up in the morning but she said you'd wake up when you were ready," he replied, blushing as he added, "She... I asked her to cast an anti-pregnancy spell. I wasn't sure if you..."

 _Can you die of embarrassment?_ Amalie wondered. Her face felt like it was on fire.

"No. I've only... I mean... There's only been one time before..." She waved her hand at him, laying there beside her in all his shirtless glory. "Three days? Wow."

Her stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly.

"You go have a shower. We need to go to the guild before Erza turns up and tries to kill me," he told her with a smile.

She leant forward to kiss him again, squeaking when he grabbed her backside and pulled her onto him.

 _Two can play at that game._

"Maybe you should come shower with me?" she purred suggestively, lips lingering above his as she spoke.

She didn't have to ask twice.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

 _Three days. It's been three fucking days,_ the maroon haired man thought with annoyance as he sat at one of the tables at the back of the Fairy Tail guild hall.

He'd been sent there as part of an agreed parole organised between Doranbolt and Makarov. The Councilman had told him that she was here, but there had been no sign of the mage he sought. Her scent in the hall was stale.

He'd learnt a few interesting things by 'listening' to his new guildmates; things that he could use for leverage at a later point, like the fact that Gajeel was most definitely in love with the tiny bluenette he stalked.

Natsu had been annoying the crap out of him with his incessant need to fight the Poison Dragon Slayer, and he'd knocked the pinkette out a number of times but he just kept coming back.

 _Stupid little fucker,_ he thought with a snarl as the idiot entered the guild and immediately made a beeline for Erik's table. _Here we go for the one hundred and twenty seventh time._

He braced, reading himself for an attack, when he froze. He could smell her.

The doors opened again as he stared at Natsu, daring him to act on his inevitable stupidity.

 **Babies! They're going to have such adorable babies!** Erik winced as the white haired barmaid's thoughts flooded in through his sound magic.

 _That woman seriously needs to get laid._

The Poison Slayer watched as the Fire Slayer's attention went from him to the newcomers. He raced to tackle the black haired mage who'd just entered with a pink haired female.

 _Amalie?_

Her hair had changed and she smelt a little different, too; still like vanilla and wildness but now there were... _Grapes and pine needles?_

A brunette threw herself at the girl as Erik stood. He watched them fall to the ground giggling and hugging as he walked towards them.

Getting closer, he noticed the brunette's very hands on affection.

 _Interesting._

"So you'll let her touch your tits, but not me? I'm outraged, queenie," he chuckled.

Blue eyes met his with surprise.

 _Blue? Wait. That's not right._

 **Erik?** he heard her ask without speaking.

"You know this hottie?" the brunette slurred, presumably to the girl under her. He could smell the alcohol on her breath.

"Sure do," the Slayer responded with a smirk before she could as he pulled the drunkard off the pinkette. "You look good for a corpse, queenie."

In a blink, she'd flipped to her feet and planted a firm kick straight to his stomach.

 _What the fuck?_ He growled at her.

 **That was for not coming back when you said you would, you asshole,** she thought at him, glaring.

"Shit, Am, that was like a year ago."

Amalie reached forward and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

 **Why do you smell like Lucy?** she demanded.

 _If looks could kill..._

"I'm staying with her. Nothing nefarious, queenie. Although…" He broke off from her glare to take his eyes appreciatively over the buxom blonde watching them from the bar. Her face flushed when their eyes met and he caught her say a curse word that was rare in her vocabulary. "She has an interesting internal commentary. Besides, haven't you noticed that shit for flames smells like someone else?"

Her eyebrow raised and she took a delicate sniff. **Crap. That's why she was upset yest... I mean, three days ago.**

He knew she hadn't been languishing in bed with her mate for three days, from the worried 'voices' he'd picked up from Laxus and Wendy, but the temptation to get a rise from her was too great.

He looked back at her, meeting the unusual blue eyes that should have been green. "You're the one who's been too busy fu…"

She gave his collar a firm yank. **I wouldn't finish that if I were you.**

"You're friends are staring," he pointed out helpfully. "And the matchstick is thinking about attacking me for one hundred and twenty eighth time since I got here."

 **You're keeping count?** she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Had nothing better to fucking do while you were napping," he replied with an annoyed tone. "Incoming. Your three o'clock."

Both the Poison Slayer and Change mage turned in synch as the Fire Slayer leapt at them; both of their fists connecting at the same time and sending the pink haired boy flying.

 _God, that felt good. Still the perfect team._

"So... Is this the part where I threaten you not to just do your usual root and run with Lucy?" Amalie asked him sweetly out loud, patting his cheek a little harder than necessary.

"She thinks I'm hot," he told her smugly. He pulled a bit of crumpled paper from his pants pocket. "Oh, and we have a job. Slavers. Seven."

 **When?** she asked, reverting back to silent questions.

"Tomorrow by 7pm. Hargeon."

"Okay. We'll leave on the last train tonight," she turned away from him, looking for the Ice mage she'd arrived with.

 _Lucy..._ Erik wanted to seek her out, but the job wasn't something he wanted to expose the beautiful celestial mage to. _I want to protect her from that shit Am and I are involved in for as long as possible._

 **I wonder what they were talking about... He looks so serious. Which is pretty hot. Hmmm... I wonder what he looks like under that shirt? Oh Mavis. Why do I keep thinking that? I'm such a pervert.**

He could hear Lucy loud and clear, and he met her chocolate gaze with a smirk.

She blushed adorably and looked away.

 _Aw shit. When the fuck did she start becoming adorable?! What the hell is wrong with me?_

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

The train pulled into the harbour city of Hargeon just before midnight. The streets were relatively empty.

Amalie leant over and woke Erik with a quick shake off his shoulder. The Poison Slayer was the only Dragon she knew of that didn't suffer atrocious motion sickness so he made for a blissfully unobjectionable travel companion.

Gray hadn't been pleased about her heading out on a job after being awake for less than a day. They'd argued about it and, unable to come up with the right words or explanation, she'd just walked away.

 _I suppose I need to apologise when we get back. If he's still willing to have me._

Amalie had never had someone quite like the Ice mage in her life before. She wasn't sure how she was meant to act, but would not become some simpering female that obeyed a man mindlessly.

"He's not going anywhere, queenie," Erik's low voice shook her from her own head.

 **I didn't realise I was thinking that out loud.** She'd always been able to shield the Poison Slayer from her thoughts unless she was 'talking' to him directly. He'd said her silence was refreshing.

He chuckled. "You didn't. The look on your face gave it away."

They walked towards the harbour in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Erik spoke up again.

"How did you know?"

"About?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Him."

 _Because a voice in my head told me so? Mavis, that makes me sound certifiable._

"I don't know exactly," she lied. "Why?"

He blushed slightly under her gaze before turning his face from her. "No reason. Nice job kicking ass, by the way. Nothing better than a little girl on girl action. Such a shame I missed the show."

 **You're such a perve.**

He gave her a wolfish smile, showing his fangs.

 **You're totally into Lucy.**

His smile fell and he gave a guttural growl.

 _Got it in one_. Amalie smirked at his reaction.

"Tell anyone and I'll kill you," he threatened.

"Don't leave it too long, Snake. I reckon Sparky has his eye on her, too," she teased out loud.

It was a blatant lie on her behalf but his reaction was instant; she was being held by the throat against a wall before she could blink, with Erik's face inches from hers and snarling.

 _That's the same reaction I had about that Water bitch,_ she thought with shock.

 **Look, the whole 'mate' concept is new to me, too. You're second gen so I'm guessing you were as oblivious to the apparent feelings as I was. Still am.**

The snarling stopped immediately and he released her.

"Sorry," he muttered.

Amalie reached out to grab his hand and gently squeezed it.

 **Let's get this fucking job done and get back.**

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

The slavers were slightly more challenging than expected. Amalie reasoned that she was struggling because of the three days sleep and lack of her katana. Gajeel promised the new sword would be ready for her when they got back.

 _Ignoring the fact I can't stomach touching it anymore, it would have been much more useful than my bow._

She sighed as she loosed an arrow at one of the men as they tried to run. It hit it's target; impaling him in the neck.

 _Tidy, just like Mest wanted. He was pretty pissed about that dark Master._

She slid the bow back over her shoulder and dragged the now dead slaver back to the middle of the deck of the boat by his ankles.

"There's still one left," Erik told her. He held a camera lacrima in his hand. He'd been taking photos of the dead men alongside their death warrants as was standard.

Every employer wants proof of the job being complete. Even the council. She supposed it was probably her own fault, being that a dozen or so of her intended targets had turned up alive and well far away from Caros.

He quickly snapped the one Amalie had just dropped and indicated to the stairs leading below deck. "There are a couple rooms left."

"You're better off doing it. I don't have a sword or knives," she told him. "I'll go make explosives."

He nodded and jogged off.

 _Best part about these jobs is blowing things up afterwards,_ the Change mage thought with a small smile. She set about Changing various structural points into various solid combustible material.

 _What's taking Erik so long? He should have been back by now..._

She started to descend the stairs when she sensed magic and a body collided with hers, throwing her back topside. Her head hit the wooden deck and her eyesight exploded into black dots.

 _What the fuck? The warrant didn't say he had strong magic._

Her eyes focused on the maroon haired man half on top of her.

 **Erik?** she tried but there was no answer.

 _Is he breathing?_

"I knew they'd send someone sooner or later," a rough voice said over her.

Amalie tried to shove the fallen Dragon Slayer off her, not bothering to look up. She'd seen his scarred, twisted face on the warrant.

 _6'3", thirty two years old, convicted rapist, broken out of jail two months ago._

"Twelve," Erik's whisper was so soft she hardly heard it. She relaxed immediately knowing he was alive and lucid.

 _Twelve? What was twelve?!_ She racked her mind. They'd come up with a code of sorts that covered power and skills. _Magical item. He has a magical item giving him power._

"Staff," Erik whispered as his fingers tapped her hip lightly two times; code to pre warn her off his next attack.

Their target took a step closer, confident of success, and the Slayer made his move. He grabbed the man's leg and his Sound Palm attack threw him away from them.

Erik was up in an instant and Amalie rolled to grab her bow.

"Change: Lightning."

The arrow hit the lacrima powered staff held by the slaver, effectively shocking him and blowing up the magic infused source of his power.

The Poison Slayer used the distraction to release Poison Scales.

 **We need to find the location of the people they kidnapped before he dies!**

"Already done, queenie," he replied. "These fuck wits have zero shielding capacity. I heard where they were before we even got on the boat."

"Thanks for telling me, asshole," she scowled up at him, accepting the hand he offered her and letting him pull her to her feet. "Can you hear anyone else?"

Erik closed his eyes and they were silent for a few moments. "Only thing I can hear is us three. Wait... There's someone coming."

 _Shit. Just what we need._

Amalie scrambled to pull arrows from the dead men on the deck and stuff them back into her quiver before noticing a broad sword that had been dropped.

The Slayer took a photo of the last slaver and his warrant; his skin was mostly a mottled purple from the fast acting poison and he was no longer breathing.

"They're nearly here, Am. Get ready."


	22. Chapter 22

Ooops... so last chapter happened... I suppose I was mad about Natsu's actions straight after Tartaros (in the Manga, I mean. I'm not gonna post spoilers but Lucy should have been so much madder. I'm up to Chapter 431, btw just in case you're wondering) so I decided that Lucy could do better... And Cobra/Erik is much more fun to write (sorry Natsu lovers). And what's a story without some hiccups? Predictable, that's what.

So following baseballers0824's review, I've dedicated this chapter to Lucy and Natsu's POV :)

PM's n reviews appreciated xx

 **Chapter 22.**

It had been a trying week, even for the light of Fairy Tail.

She was happy Juvia had gone back to her own Guild; the Water mage was such high maintenance, especially when she was upset, and she'd very nearly flooded Lucy's apartment in her hysteria.

Then Master Makarov had turned up with an ex Oracion Seis member who'd just been released from prison on parole and asked her to essentially babysit him.

 _And then there's the whole Natsu debacle,_ she sighed to herself.

The Celestial Mage was reflecting on her week while she sat at the bar next to Cana, sipping on a cocktail. She'd gotten back in the early evening from doing a solo job that had nearly paid her entire rent in advance for the next month, and had also given her a new silver key.

 _Arcanis,_ she thought with a small smile. _The Tracker._

The spirit had appeared in the form of a big wolfhound type dog, and specialised in tracking magical objects and people.

 _An actual dog. Sure, I love Plue but Arcanis is pretty awesome. I wonder if I can teach him to do tricks?_

She heard the Guild doors open and was promptly showered by the brunette's beer when the Card mage dumped the mug hard on the bar and ran to greet whoever had walked in.

 _Great, because I totally wanted to smell like a brewery,_ she grumbled to herself.

A tea towel came into view and she took it gratefully to wipe at the mess on her clothes and arms.

"Are you okay, Lucy?" Mirajane asked gently, her big eyes curious. "You haven't been around here much lately and you hardly ever drink."

 _I hardly ever need to drink._

"I'm avoiding Natsu," she confessed without thinking.

 _Oh sweet Mavis! Looks like it's honesty hour. Thank you, alcohol,_ she thought with annoyance.

The white haired barmaid's eyebrows nearly disappeared they shot up so far and she looked sad. "Oh, Lucy."

 _I don't want pity! And the shit thing is that I actually like Lisanna as a person, so I can't hate her because of that idiot,_ she added bitterly.

He'd been different since they'd nearly kissed at the Guild after Amalie and Laxus' fight, and had pretty much avoided being alone with her ever since. It wasn't boding well for the Celestial mage. She had guessed why when he'd started spending every spare moment with the youngest Strauss. _Gutless wonder couldn't even tell me himself. Maybe that kiss in Stella was just practice for him. No, Lucy. Cheer the heck up! He's your best friend so don't act like this. Be happy for him!_

But she couldn't. Not when seeing him with Lisanna made her feel sick to the stomach.

Having Cobra - _Erik_ , she corrected herself - stay at her apartment made her miss the Fire Dragon Slayer's presence a little less, but it presented problems of its own.

He was personable enough; quiet, tidy and sarcastic. He was the polar opposite of her loud and destructive teammate.

 _But then there's the fact I've become a closet pervert and want to see what he looks like without clothes on. Maybe I should just accidentally walk in on him in the shower when he gets back? Dammit, brain! Abort!_

"Want me to walk you home?" Gray offered, appearing in her peripheral vision. He brought her back to the present and she felt a small blush warm her cheeks at her less than innocent thoughts.

"Um... Yeah. Thanks," Lucy smiled at her friend. She slid from the bar stool, wobbled slightly, and grabbed his arm. He was shirtless, as usual, but she hardly noticed it anymore. The Ice Make mage wearing not much more than his boxers had become a normal sight and no longer infuriated her prudish side.

 _Prude has been replaced by perve. Same as I've been replaced with Lisanna._

"Is everything okay, Gray?" she asked softly as they walked. He'd looked preoccupied and distracted since Amalie and Erik had left for their job.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied but his face said the opposite.

"Gray..." the Celestial mage prodded gently.

He rubbed his forehead and sighed. "They just... I don't understand. There's stupid risks in the shit she's doing for Doranbolt and she just disappears anyway."

"She'll come back," Lucy tried to reassure him softly. "Co... I mean, Erik, is with her, right? He's just as strong as Laxus so they'll be fine."

The thought of the Poison Slayer made her smile slightly. Natsu's apparent rejection was still so raw, but the maroon haired man was a fine distraction.

 _But now he's away till Mavis knows when._

"What are you going to do about flametard?" Gray asked, his eyes showing genuine concern for the blonde.

 _See Erik naked to get over him... Gah! What the fuck? What is wrong with me? I definitely shouldn't have done those shots with Cana! It's definitely the alcohol turning me into a super pervert!_

"Lucy?"

"Huh?" she looked up at her dark haired friend. They'd stopped out the front of her apartment. "Oh, right. Natsu. I don't know. Can we do a job tomorrow?"

"You just got back, Lucy. Don't you want to rest?" the Ice Make mage tried to reason.

She shook her blonde head. "No. Please, can we just go? I'll get there early to find something and we can meet at the station at 8?"

"You're just prolonging the inevitable," he warned.

"I know," she replied, sadly. "But I'm not ready to see them. At least, not yet."

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Everyone turned to look at them as Natsu wandered into the Guild in the morning, the youngest Strauss' hand firmly gripped in his, before cheering loudly for them.

 _Today would be it,_ he'd decided. He needed to stop sneaking around and acknowledge what was happening even though he hardly knew himself.

Igneel had warned him that there was a thing called a true mate and that one day he'd find one. The pinkette had honestly thought it was Lucy; he loved the way she smelt and had really enjoyed kissing her, but then Lisanna captured his attentions without actually doing anything.

 _I really hadn't meant for it to happen and now Lucy's avoiding me,_ he thought angrily. He knew it was selfish of him, but he still wanted the blonde. Wanted her even more than his Dragon magic decided 'mate', but it physically hurt him now to be away from the Takeover mage. _Igneel said it would get easier once I accept the match, so that's what I'm doing._

Gajeel had actually helped him understand what was going on when he'd first been struck down with the mysterious pains; his fellow Dragon Slayer had recently suffered through the misery of being parted from Levy when she left with Team Shadow Gear for a two week mission.

 _But he was in love with Levy anyway. It's not like he was suddenly drawn to Cana,_ he thought, snickering to himself at the idea of the drunken Card mage and Iron Dragon together.

"Natsu... Everyone's staring," Lisanna whispered, her hand squeezing his tightly. She knew about his history with the Celestial mage, but had reluctantly agreed to go with him to talk to the blonde and the Guild.

He towed her over to the bar, greeting Mirajane with a big smile. "Yo Mira. You seen Luce?"

"Hi Natsu. You just missed her," the white haired bar maid replied with a pleasant smile. She had caught Natsu sneaking around at the house she shared with Lisanna and Elfman a few days ago. "She's off on a job."

"With who?" he demanded, remembering the newest Fairy Tail recruit with a surge of anger. _He's the reason she's been locking her window! He's probably been through her panty drawer, too! That's mine and Happy's thing._

"She's with Gray," the Satan Soul mage explained, patiently. "But we need to talk more important things... Like when are you marrying my little sister?! You two are going to have the cutest babies!"

Natsu rolled his eyes as the oldest Strauss fainted in excitement. _I liked her better when she was The Demon. At least she fought me back then._

Lisanna squealed and rushed to her side. The pinkette just watched as his mate tried to rouse her sister.

 _Why'd she go with popsicle? Team Natsu's meant to be a team! She's ruining everything!_


	23. Chapter 23

30 followers and 19 favourites :) :) :) Pretty chuffed about that! I never expected it to get that high! Apologies for the delay in updating - have a whole bunch of coursework due and a little writer's block.

To the Guest reviewer - nothings always black and white so I hope it hasn't turned you from the story! I'm trying to avoid being too predictable!

 **Chapter 23.**

The rough ground under the cart wheels jerked Erik from the blackness and back into a queasy consciousness.

 _And whoever's steering is hitting every fucking pothole possible,_ he though with clouded anger as he slowly focused in on his surroundings. He was lying on his back in what he assumed to be a carriage.

One of his eyes would hardly open, his head ached - _no thanks to the asshole driving_ \- as did his leg, and the skin on his wrists felt pinched and raw.

He didn't have to look down to know they bore handcuffs. It was the sort of sensation he would never forget; it was practically burned into his brain after so many years in the Tower of Heaven.

"Magic nullifying," he muttered to himself, after fruitlessly trying to get a reading on the driver using his Sound magic.

 _They really went out of their way to make sure we couldn't be any more trouble._

Doranbolt had appeared before the slavers' reinforcements had arrived to extend on the job he'd assigned them - the Council decided they wanted the names of those employing the slavers - so after blowing the boat to the high heavens, Amalie and the Poison Slayer had swam to shore.

 _My ears were ringing that whole swim. She still goes overboard when she wants to blow shit up._

After they'd dried off, they'd gone to a local bar and started drinking. Erik had overheard the anger and frustration of a group of men so he'd made a point to brag about the ship, and minutes later they were attacked with a sleeping spell.

 _Their attack was pretty predictable but I'm getting two million jewels for this job,_ he reminded himself.

There was a groan next to him.

"Erik? You alive?" Amalie's voice rasped. "You're plan was shit. Sleep spells suck."

He chuckled and silently agreed. _Kinda like a hangover but without the fun of getting drunk first._

He rolled his head to face her.

 _Shit. I'm guessing I don't look much better. Weak fuckers kicked the shit outta us while we were down._

The bridge of her nose sported an open slice, a mottled bruise covered her forehead and the crown of her pink head was matted with blood.

"Well good morning to you too, sunshine," he replied. She just grunted in response. "I can't hear shit cause the cuffs are nullifying."

Erik watched as awareness dawned in her eyes at his words.

"Nullifying," she repeated softly, eyebrows raised. A flash of panic crossed her face before she rolled into action; hurriedly struggling with her handcuffs and managing to get her right foot up onto the chain that linked them.

 _She's really not going to do that, right?_ He thought in disbelief, but morbid curiosity won over and he couldn't look away from her as she positioned her left foot on the outside edge of the left wrist binding. "Queenie..."

"Doranbolt owes me for this," she growled, laying back and pushing her legs with all her might. There was a sickening crunch and she stifled a scream against her bare shoulder.

 _Gods! She actually did it!_

"Holy shit, you really are crazy," he muttered humourlessly. He'd done a number of assassination jobs with her. They worked well together; her stealth and sword skill complimented his agility and hand-to-hand combat. He'd never seen her voluntarily do damage to something as precious to her as her hands.

She met his gaze and held up her bloodied left hand with a pained but victorious grin. "Let's get outta here."

She leaned over, Changing his handcuffs to glass. Her blood smeared on his hand.

He smashed the now powerless handcuffs and quickly used his magic to melt her handcuffs off where they still hung from her right wrist. He tore a piece from his shirt to bind the pinkette's mangled hand. She whimpered softly but kept still.

"You've broken your thumb, you little idiot," he scolded her. "Your mate is gonna fucken kill me."

"You reckon my hand is bad, then you should see your face," she retaliated with a playful sneer.

"Still prettier than you on a good day, queenie," he told her with a grin, reaching over to ruffle her hair.

She scrunched her nose and poked her tongue out at him. "Fuck off, idiot."

He just grinned in response and tested his Sound magic again, picking up on a rough male voice immediately.

 **Fucking psychopath. Should have known the Magic Council would try and stop her. I'm too old for this shit. Least we're nearly back at camp. I need a fucking beer.**

 _Psychopath? Only one person I know who could match that description._

Amalie nudged him with her foot, questioning look in those blue eyes he still couldn't get used to.

"We might have a small issue," Erik told her slowly. "I think that ship belonged to a certain lunatic bitch that you're related to."

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

The day promised to be a beautiful one. No clouds threatened to cover up the warmth of the sun, and there was only a slight breeze.

 _Perfect weather for the job I picked,_ Lucy reflected with a smile as she gazed out the window of the train carriage. _And I get to wear my new bikini!_

The blonde had made sure to be front row for the eight am job postings, and the job she'd hurriedly selected for herself and Gray - before she was trampled by her guild mates - was for a promotional waiting gig at a beach party at Akane Beach. She'd figured it was perfect for the Ice Make Mage as he spent most of his time in minimal clothes anyway (the ad specified board shorts and bare chests for the waiters and bathers for the waitresses), and the gold bikini she'd purchased at the sales before winter was just begging to be worn.

 _And one night's paid accommodation at the beach resort!_ she added, gleefully. _Maybe there'll be a scout there and I'll finally get to pose in Sorcerer's Weekly!_

She let herself fantasize about being discovered as a model while the dark haired mage looked to be asleep in the seat across from her. He'd lost his shirt at some point since boarding the train, but she wasn't sure exactly when.

 _How the heck does he always manage to do that? Not that it's a bad view... Maybe my next column for the paper should be a ranking of the hottest guys in Fairy Tail?_ She touched Horologium's key. T _en twenty six am. That means we'll be there before lunch so there'll be time for a quick swim before the party starts at four!_

It was only an hours train ride to Hargeon and then another thirty minutes by carriage to Akane Beach.

Sighing happily, Lucy settled back down into her seat and pulled a small lacrima radio from her purse. She'd purchased it at a yard sale and, while the reception it got was never great, it was better than silence.

"... Massive explosion... Hargeon Harbour this... Eight bodies... Cause of... Unknown."

"Explosion?" Gray's voice asked softly. The blonde looked up to see the Ice Make mage now awake and alert, his interest piqued by the words on the radio.

They both waited silently for more details but harsh crackling filled the air.

"Stupid radio," Lucy muttered, slapping it against her palm a couple of times. It did the opposite of what she was trying for though, and stopped broadcasting completely. She growled in annoyance and shoved it back into her bag.

Gray smirked over at her, clearly amused that she'd accidentally broken something, but said nothing.

 _I suppose it's time I bought a Sound Pod. Maybe in purple..._ She pursed her lips and tapped them with a finger, trying to recall if there was anywhere in Hargeon that sold the small music device.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

The carriage hit another unexpected bump and Amalie winced as her backside bounced on the wooden floor.

 **My arse will never be the same again after this little joyride,** she complained to the Poison Slayer.

"I could massage it better for you," Erik replied lecherously with a snicker. He smiled at her so his fangs showed.

 **Think I'll pass, perve.**

After she'd recalled her bow, quiver and the sword she'd picked up on the ship from her Requip inventory - _How the hell does Erza carry so much shit?_ Amalie had wondered. _Just three weaponry items were an annoying pull on my magic -_ they'd contacted Doranbolt via the tiny lacrima in the pinkette's earring and he'd given them strict 'no kill' orders to take out the camp.

 _Which means I have to actually be careful,_ she thought with a pout. But _he did say I could blow up this godforsaken jail on wheels_. _Definitely one of the perks of the job._

She Changed the carriage to an explosive composite, loving the sharp gunpowder smell of it, and sighing happily.

"Your love of explosives is concerning," Erik commented dryly.

"I don't know why you're complaining," she replied, giving him a wolfish smile. "You get to light the candle on this cake."

He raised an eyebrow at her response, looking suspicious.

 **Can't pull a bow with a busted thumb,** she thought at him with a shrug.

 _Hopefully the little Sky Dragon is at the guild when we get back. This'll be a pain in the arse if I actually have to wait for it to heal like a normal person!_

The carriage jerked to a halt, throwing both of them off balance as it's suddenness.

"You ready, queenie?" the Poison Slayer asked quietly.

She gave him a broad smile. "'Rock, scissors, paper' for who gets the mages?"

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.


	24. Chapter 24

Okay, so this is a bit fluffy :) And pretty swear-y cause that's how I roll... But there'll be some more action next chapter.

Big thanks again to everyone who's following and has favourite this xx

I'm trying to update weekly but I have assignments due for my course in the next two weeks so apologies if it's a little slow!

 **Chapter 24.**

The Poison Dragon Slayer had won 'rock scissors paper', like always, and had taken out seven of the eight mages quickly and brutally with his magic.

The mages at the camp hadn't been overly challenging; the hardest one possessed Wind magic so he'd actually had to physically fight the man to defeat him.

 _But there's nothing like a scrap to get the blood pumping,_ he thought with a small smirk.

After a final kick to down the Wind mage, he turned to watch his companion with her fight.

 _She looks like an angel of death,_ he thought as he watched Amalie wielding the golden lightning sword with one hand, her damaged hand clutched to her chest. She practically danced as she avoided hits and swung her own with devastating accuracy.

 _She's just playing now,_ he thought with a grumble. "Hurry up, Marley. Didn't your mother teach you not to play with your food?"

His words broke her concentration and she growled audibly as the lightning slipped from her hold. The blade of the sword shattered instantly.

 _Shit steel if it can't even hold magic._

"I was having fun," she whined, throwing the now useless hilt at him with force. It missed his head by mere millimetres but he didn't flinch. She punched the last guy standing opposite her in the face. He dropped like a sack of potatoes and she shook her hand. "Dammit. I really need to remember my gloves."

Erik chuckled, wandering over to her lazily. He grabbed her hand and pressed his lips to the reddened knuckles. He knew contact like that annoyed her, which was precisely why he did it to rile her.

 _You'd think a royal would be used to it._

As expected, her cheeks flushed as she yelped and yanked her hand back. "What the hell, snake?!"

"You're so cute when you're embarrassed," he leered at her, flashing his fangs, before leaning over to retrieve a stray communications lacrima that had been dropped by one of the displaced soldiers.

 _The sooner Doranbolt gets here, the sooner I can get back to my delicious little blonde roommate. She has some damned naughty thoughts for someone so sweet._

"Oi, ugly," he greeted the Councilman when his face appeared in the lacrima. "Neutralised. Hurry the fuck up cause I wanna get outta here."

He disconnected before the other man could even say a word.

"That was rude," Amalie scolded him. "He IS the one paying us, you know."

"Pfft," he snorted.

"I want to call Gray," the pinkette told him, holding her hand out for the lacrima.

He relinquished it, watching her frown when there was no response.

She sighed. "Guess I'll try the guild. He wouldn't still be mad, would he?"

Erik shrugged unhelpfully. He didn't know much about the Ice Make mage, just that he was smarter and less annoying than the Fire Slayer he teamed with.

 _Hell, I've never even had an actual girlfriend so how would I even be able to give advice._

"Hi Marley," the white haired barmaid greeted her sunnily before immediately frowning when she saw the pinkette's battered face. "What happened?!"

A mischievous look flashed across the Change mage's face, quickly replaced by a scared look.

"Mira... It was Cobra... We got in a fight..." She sniffled, hiding her eyes under her bloodied bangs. "He's so mean..."

 _What the fuck?!_ He leapt forward, snatching the lacrima from the troublemaker's hands. He could hear Fairy Tail's barmaid yelling.

"Calm your panties, demon! She's shit stirring!" he snarled, glaring at the girl who was doubled over with laughter.

 _Un-fucking-believable!_

"Oh, I know," the Takeover mage giggled in response, not even ruffled. "She's such a joker!"

He growled as the white haired mage continued to giggle at her friend's antics.

"Erik... Oh, mavis... Your face..." Amalie gasped as she tried to calm herself, moving back to his side as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Is Gray there, Mira?"

"He and Lucy are doing a job in Akane Beach. A beach party, I think."

"No," Erik responded to the unspoken suggestion he knew was coming, judging by the looks exchanged by the women.

"The uniform is a bikini..." the she-devil cooed. "And if you've ever seen Lucy's choice in swimwear..."

She deliberately left it open for him to think about.

 _Don't even think that. It can't be that great, right? Goddamn it. Fucking women._ It really was too tempting for the Slayer. He'd seen how Lucy looked in clothes and he could just imagine her form in a bikini. _That woman really does have a great rack... And those legs... She'd look even better naked... Shit. Stop thinking. Just. Stop._

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Gray plastered a smile on his face, going about the job with forced professionalism. This wasn't a job he'd have chosen for himself, but he'd promised Lucy that she could choose what she wanted to do.

 _Even if that means no fighting,_ he thought, slightly bitter.

As a general rule, people annoyed him. The inescapable heat of the beach and the sand irritated him more, and the scantily clad women who were open about their ogling of him were frustrating him.

 _Only four more hours,_ he reminded himself. _This is for Lucy's benefit so don't be selfish._

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," a low voice murmured from behind him, warm breath tickling his ear.

His heart stuttered.

 _Amalie._ He'd know her voice anywhere but she'd left him reeling by running off with Cobra on that damned Council job.

 _She's actually here._ His irrational fear of abandonment that had been bubbling just below the surface of his sanity for the past twenty four hours soothed immediately.

"Not here, Melissa. Someone will see," he teased dryly, without looking over at her as continued to clear empty glasses from the table.

Warm fingertips trailed lightly down his spine, making him shiver, and he could hear her giggle.

"Trying to make me jealous, frosty?" she asked. He shivered again when her lips pressed against the back of his shoulder. "You're forgetting my sense of smell is nearly as good as those idiot lizards."

Her hand stilled at the nape of his neck. He nearly turned to face her but forced himself to move on to the next table. As much as he loved her touch, a very small part of him was still annoyed with her.

"I'm sorry. I'll leave you to your job," her voice had lost its playful tone.

"Am... Marley," Gray caught himself. _Good work, stupid. You nearly fucked up there._

They all knew to call her Marley Dreyar outside of the Guild. He turned to her and felt his eyes widen as they took in the white crochet sundress that showed the small sky blue bikini she wore underneath. He felt his cock twitch as his eyes ran over the cleavage exposed by the dress.

Her feet were adorned by wedge sandals and her pink hair hung in waves around her shoulders. Aviator sunglasses shielded her eyes and makeup obscured the cut across her nose.

"You look beautiful."

Amalie's smile was dazzling as a slight blush colored her cheeks.

"You look as handsome and half naked as ever," she replied.

His frowned as he noticed her bandaged hand. "What..."

"When do you finish?" she interrupted. "We'll talk then."

 _Talk. Maybe after I get her nak... Goddamn it, Gray! You're on a job. In board shorts. Don't think about her tits. Think about... Natsu naked._ He grimaced at the though, but it worked in making him less aroused. _Getting a hard on at a beach party wasn't what he wanted to be remembered for by his employer._

He met Amalie's oddly blue eyes and nodded.

She covered the distance between them in three strides and pressed a desperate chaste kiss to his lips before disappearing back into the crowded bar section, leaving him struggling to find something else to think about besides her barely covered ass that moved hypnotizingly as she strode away.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

By ten pm, the party was in full swing. The area in front of the DJ booth on the beach was writhing with revellers, and it was standing room only in the bar.

Lucy weaved expertly around the crowd as she went to refill drinks in the roped off VIP section. It was filled with a rowdy group of men who'd been trying their hardest to hit on the blonde despite numerous warnings from the venue security.

There was one in particular who was annoyingly persistent for her attentions.

"Hey baby. You're back again. Can't keep away from me, huh?" the persistent asshole leered at her. He reached forward and rubbed her arm.

 _Ugh. Could this douche bag be any more insufferable? I wish I could just Lucy kick him into next week._

Instead, she plastered a smile on her face and swatted his hand away.

"Uh, uh, uh," she tutted, waving her forefinger at him. "No touching the merchandise."

He laughed in her face and made to grab her backside. A large tanned hand stopped him before the Celestial mage could move away.

 _Huh? But I didn't even call for security..._ Lucy turned and her eyes drifted up a bare tanned chest, meeting amused purple eyes. "Erik?"

"Hey, blondie," he greeted her with a grin, before turning his attention back to the other man. "What part of 'keep your hands to yourself' didn't you understand?"

The asshole looked furious at the Slayer's intervention.

"No, actually, I saw her well before you did," he informed the guy with a smirk even though she hadn't heard him say anything. "And she's not for sale."

 _Must be using his magic to listen in to that entitled wanker,_ Lucy thought with a small sense of satisfaction. _Serves that ignorant fucker right._

The maroon haired man glanced at her with a raised eyebrow and a heart stopping grin.

 _Shit. He can hear me,_ she remembered with a start but then smiled. _Want to get out here? I'll get you a drink for saving me from being fired._

Profanities spewed from the guy's mind as the Poison Slayer released him and wrapped an arm around Lucy's shoulders.

"Loud and clear, baby," he murmured to her with a chuckle as she felt her cheeks colour wildly.

 _Just so you know, I could have kicked his arse myself,_ she thought at him with a pout.

"I know, princess," Erik chuckled.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.


	25. Chapter 25

Hooray to no more assignments until February! Sooo... This chapters a bit of a slow burner (I felt that I needed to address a few things about Sera and how Amalie feels about her sister's rule) but there'll be action in the next one 'cause I love writing fight scenes :)

Thank you to my reviewers (Amethyst, MizBlueSage and DD-Returns101) and the people who have followed/favourited this story xx And sorry about breaking the NaLu up... But I love Cobra. And Bickslow. Maybe I need to try some one-shot crack pairings with those two...

***NOTE: First part of this chapter is the same but I've changed the last section with Lucy to Chapter 26. Last section is now Erza/back at the Guild***

 **Chapter 25.**

The party was slowly beginning to die down by two am. The beach was practically empty and lit by the impossibly full moon.

Amalie had wandered down to the water's edge with Erik, bored with the party and the incredibly mundane attendees.

"Remind me why we actually bothered to go to that bullshit party instead of hunting the streets for degenerates to fight?" she asked the Slayer with a sigh. _Because that would have been a lot more fun than being eye raped all night by those drunken wankers._

"Free booze?" he queried with a chuckle, shaking the bottle of vodka he'd swiped from the bar.

"Can't take the criminal out of the man, hey?" she teased, rolling her eyes as she plucked the bottle from his hand.

He scowled at her. "I'm reformed. Kinda."

She laughed and opened the bottle, taking a generous gulp of its contents, before handing it back to him.

A whisper of a thought tugged at her mind.

"Erik? What do you think Sera's magic is? I mean, I could always sense that she had some but she never used it. I never used my Change magic around her either, so I suppose that makes me safer now, right?" she winced at the end, realising she was rambling. _And trying to justify my freedom even though my kingdom's declining at her hands._

The Poison Slayer looked thoughtful. "I've never seen it either, and her soul's switched off to me like yours. But that time in Pergrande? It felt like a dark magic."

"Do you think I'm selfish for running?"

"What?" his eyebrows nearly hit his hairline with shock at her quiet question. "There's nothing wrong with self preservation..."

"But people are dying and I'm drinking at the goddamn beach..." she began to argue quietly, but he cut her off as she had him.

"Don't go being a fucking martyr, queenie. You're more use alive than dead. That's why ugly gave us that new job."

 _He's got a point._

He handed the bottle back to her and she gulped it down, ignoring the way it burnt her throat. "Wanna spar, Snake? No magic."

Erik chuckled, snatching the bottle back from her and throwing a roundhouse kick that she easily danced away from.

The buzz from the vodka numbed the guilt she'd been feeling about running from Caros. She feinted and moved closer to the Poison Slayer, throwing a few punches at his chest and stomach that he dodged.

Amalie grabbed the bottle back awkwardly with her bandaged hand and summoned some magic. It seemed to be easier to create lightning when she was slightly inebriated.

 _Probably because I give zero fucks about controlling it,_ she giggled to herself as she shot the small blast of magic she was able to summon at Erik.

"Oi!" he yelped, only just managing to avoid it. "You said no magic."

"I lied," she purred back, taking another swig from the bottle of vodka.

She looked back up to the bar where Gray was, her distraction only broken when the Poison Slayer tackled her. He was gentle enough about it, and snatched the bottle from her hand as he released her so she dropped onto her back on the soft sand with a squeal.

She watched as he swallowed the remainder of the vodka before flipping to her feet and launching at him again.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

 _Finally finished. This job was shit. I'm so picking the next one,_ Gray grumbled to himself as he and Lucy were finally dismissed for the night.

He'd been felt up more times in one night than he had been his entire life, and the pocket of his shorts was stuffed with unwanted pieces of paper with numbers on them.

 _Women here are fucking weird. Give me crazy over sleazy any day._ He spotted the maroon haired Dragon Slayer making a beeline for his pretty blonde teammate. _Where's Amalie?_

"Beach," Erik grunted, answering his unspoken question thanks to his Soul Hearing.

The Ice Make mage gave a curt nod in response, leaving the Slayer to wait for Lucy. He made his way down to the water's edge, relishing in how the cool sand felt under his feet after a long night of walking around.

 _What's she doing out there?_ He wondered. He could see the girl standing out chest deep in the ocean, body swaying slightly with the gentle ebb of the ride. The moonlight shone off her bare shoulders and made the pink hair piled up on her head look like a halo.

 _Wait... Is she... Oh, Mavis! She is!_

He nearly tripped over his shorts in his haste to remove them, and entered the water. He didn't notice the slight chill to it; years of training in the snow left him practically immune to cold temperatures. He walked silently up behind the Change mage and slid his arms around her waist.

She acknowledged him with a hum and he chuckled as he kissed the side of her throat, taking a moment while his lips were pressed to her skin to gaze down at her bare peaks.

 _Goddamn._ He could feel himself harden against her. _Get control of yourself, dude! You need to talk shit out. But makeup sex would be awesome..._

"Trying to out do me?" Gray queried in a low voice. He traced her jaw with her nose.

"I've never been arrested for public indecency," she giggled in response, flicking water up at him over her shoulder.

 _That's only happened..._ He tried to do the sums in his head and sighed. _Okay, so it happens at least once a month._

"It's a subconscious thing," he defended himself as Amalie giggled even more. He cursed himself for breaking so easily at the sound. He was meant to still be annoyed with her, but here he was; standing naked in the ocean under the stars with the pinkette in his arms instead of being back in his hotel room. _Alone._

"I love the ocean. The magic in it is so pure," she sighed, leaning back into his chest. Her fingertips trailed through the water, followed by a glow of stray wisps of magic. "About yesterday..."

Gray nipped at her bare shoulder. He just wasn't sure where to go with it and didn't want to say the wrong thing.

"I'm not good at answering to people. I didn't mean to hurt you," she whispered, turning in his arms to slide her fingers lightly up his chest until they rested on his shoulders. She pressed a gentle kiss to his throat. "I'm sorry."

Gray captured her lips with his, pulling her tighter against him. It wasn't a gentle kiss and they broke apart breathlessly.

"I know you had to do it," he panted. "Just... Take me with you next time."

Amalie's lips met his again as she tangled her fingers in his raven mane. He growled and cupped his hands around her bare backside, lifting her up against him. Her legs immediately wrapped around his hips.

"Next time might be sooner than you expect," she murmured against his mouth as she pulled back. Her blue eyes met his apologetically. "We're leaving on a ship for Minstrel tomorrow at noon. And that mission includes you and Lucy."

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

It was past midnight and the Guild was slowly emptying out. Mira was busy cleaning glasses while the remaining members of Team Natsu sat at the bar.

"What do you mean they're going on an S-Class mission?" Natsu seethed as soon as he was told the news by Erza. He finished his umpteenth fire whiskey in one gulp.

 _I didn't expect him to take it that badly,_ the red head thought with a frown. She mentally shrugged and returned her focus back to the remaining cake on the plate in front of her. I _need to take him and Lisanna on a few jobs to kill time until they return... Just in case he gets bored and burns down the Guild. Again._

"How long will they be gone?" the Fire Slayer demanded.

The youngest Strauss squeezed his shoulders gently, trying to calm the Fire Slayer, but he shrugged her off with an irritable growl. She quickly tried to hide the hurt that was visible on her face at his rejection of her touch.

 _I wonder what that's about? They only just announced their mate status..._ The Requip mage knew he'd liked the Celestial mage before the whole Dragon mate thing had happened. He'd chosen Lisanna over Lucy; though Erza had immediately wanted to skewer him for hurting the blonde, she'd accepted the situation as being beyond his control. _Because Dragon Slayers are all sorts of weird and unpredictable. Well, not really unpredictable. They all seem rather... Simple. And moody._

"Two weeks, probably," Erza told him, returning her focus to the cake in front of her. "Pick a job for you and I to embark on tomorrow. Lisanna, you're welcome to come, too."

"Why do they need Luce and droopy eyes? It's not like they're really strong," the pinkette grumbled. He glared at the red head as the polished wooden bench top of the bar smouldered slightly under his hands.

Erza glared right back at him, a dark aura surrounding her in response to his insolence, and smacked the back of his hands with her own armour covered ones. "If you don't start behaving, I will make you. Pick a job."

He gulped and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yes ma'am."

"Natsu? I'm going home," Lisanna told him quietly. He made no move to touch or even look at her, just waved his hand dismissively. The Takeover mage met Erza's gaze. "Meet you here at eight, Erza?"

The older mage nodded and watched as the girl hurried from the Guild. "That was rude, Natsu. You will apologise to Lisanna in the morning."

He only pouted in response, swaying slightly in his seat from the alcohol he'd consumed.

 _It's going to be a long two weeks babysitting him,_ Erza thought with a sigh.


	26. Chapter 26

***Note: The first section of this chapter was the previous last section of Chapter 25 :) ***

I changed the order after reading some reviews :) And Natsu does create havoc...

Thanks again to my amazing reviewers (MizBlueSage and DD-Returns101) - it's so encouraging :)

 **Chapter 26.**

The sun had barely risen in the sky, and the air still held the night's chill.

Lucy shivered slightly as she walked down to the beach, following the path she'd seen Amalie take.

 _I wonder why Gray's not with her?_ the blonde thought. She'd been comfortably snuggled up with a very shirtless Erik - _Honestly, are all Slayers so cuddly when they're asleep?!_ \- but her determination to get stronger had dragged her from the cosy covers.

She was quietly proud of herself for controlling her reflexes and not Lucy kicking him from the bed when she first woke up. He wasn't as smotheringly hot as Natsu so being his little spoon had definitely been a pleasant experience.

 _And he looked so cute asleep._

"You followed me."

"Oh, Mavis! You scared me!" Lucy started at the girl's voice, her hand flying up to press her chest like she could stop her heart from thundering out from the fright she'd gotten. "I was hoping... I mean, maybe I could train with you?"

A smile lit Amalie's face. "Course. Anything in particular?"

 _Ok, I really didn't think this through,_ Lucy gulped."I just... I want to be physically stronger."

The pinkette nodded silently, her green eyes assessing Lucy's figure.

 _They're green again?_

The blonde shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

"What's your endurance like?"

"As in running?" Lucy questioned, before blushing. "Not good. Terrible, actually."

"Being able to run no matter what is essential to survival," Amalie's voice was low, as if she were reciting something that had been drummed into her from a young age.

 _We're not too different, I suppose,_ Lucy realised. _Entitled but managed to escape being married off._

"There's a lighthouse at the end of the beach," the other girl told her. Her lips curling up into a childish grin. "Race you!"

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

It was a little after nine when Lucy and Amalie got back to the resort; out of breath, soaking wet and laughing hysterically.

They were met by a very unimpressed lightning dragon slayer, who had only arrived a few minutes earlier and heard them coming.

"Fuck..." Lucy cursed just under her breath as soon as he stepped out in front of them from behind one of the lobby columns. Her brown eyes widened and she clapped a hand over her mouth when she realised the word she'd just used.

Laxus almost smirked at her word and subsequently shocked reaction. _Never heard Blondie swear before. And with idiots like her teammates, I'm surprised her language isn't more colourful!_

"No shit," the pinkette beside her murmured, causing them both to break out in another fit of giggles.

Laxus was tempted to shock the two women, but his lightning rarely had any affect on Amalie and only getting one of them kind of defeated the purpose. Instead, he just growled at them both.

 _I had to catch an early arse train for this shit,_ he grumbled to himself. _Fucking motion sickness to be laughed at by two bimbos._

He still felt pretty shitty, despite using his Lightning Body magic to get to Akane. He'd left the Raijinshuu in Hargeon to meet with Doranbolt about the job.

"Where have you two been?" he demanded, not bothering with pleasantries. "I tried calling your lacrima and imagine my surprise when the stripper fucking answered. Naked."

Green eyes met his own, her look a direct challenge. Sometimes, Laxus wished the small woman actually possessed some fear of him. Her defiance drove him mad.

"I don't see how that would be all that surprising, Zappy," she replied with a shrug. "I am with him, you know."

"We were training," the Celestial mage added defensively.

 _Little Blondie's got balls today,_ he noted with mild surprise as he leered down at her. She crossed her arms under her abundant chest and glared back at him.

 _And really nice tits,_ he added. Her wet white shirt was see through and thanks to his Dragon sight, the rosy nipples under her sodden white lacy bra were clearly visible, too.

"For a wet t-shirt competition?" he enquired innocently.

Lucy's face changed to one of confusion before she looked down and squealed. The high pitched noise only added to the Slayer's pounding headache. Her face turned a furious shade of red.

"Mavis, Blondie," Laxus whined. "Keep it down a few octaves before you fucking deafen me."

"You're such a pervert," Amalie laughed, reaching up to ruffle his hair. He batted her hand away halfheartedly as he always did. "Did you bring my sword?"

"Left it with Freed in Hargeon," he replied, nearly smiling when her face lit up like a kid at Christmas. "Where's Bleach Breath? Blondie stinks of him."

The Celestial mage made an indignant noise and Laxus met her glare with as innocent a look as he could muster. "What? You do."

"We didn't _do_ anything!" Lucy snapped defensively.

 _Yeah, sure._ He smiled at her knowingly. "Nothing wrong with getting laid, Blondie."

Her already red face was positively glowing. He couldn't help but laugh.

"No tact, Zappy," Amalie chided, shoving his chest gently. "You really need to work on that..."

"Pot calling the kettle black, kitten," he retorted with a sneer, shoving her back and then catching her arm to stop her falling when his push nearly floored her.

He couldn't help but notice that she was looking better. The ever present dark smudges under her eyes weren't as glaringly obvious and she seemed slightly relaxed.

 _Guess that's what happens when the hunted becomes the Hunter._ He chuckled to himself. Both girls looked up at him in surprise, before looking at each other and shrugging.

"Wanna come meet in our apartment after you have a shower?" Amalie asked Lucy as they led the way to the lifts. "Room 414."

The blonde nodded and wandered off down the hall, leaving Laxus and the pinkette to catch the lift up to the fourth floor.

"What happened to your hand?" The bandage hadn't escaped the blonde's notice. He could smell old blood but nothing serious.

"Had to get magic suppressing handcuffs off," Amalie replied with a careless shrug, unfazed and brutally honest as ever. "Healer straightened the break but gotta keep it bandaged so it stays set."

"The fuck, Am?!" Anger rose in the Slayer's chest. Sure, he'd seen her with worse injuries but it still pissed him off that she disregarded her own well being like that.

 _Dammit! I need to get this overprotective shit under control! This is bullshit! She's not mine! Never well be. Get a hold over yourself, Dragon!_

He followed her in silence as she led the way from the lift to the apartment.

 _Fucking stripper better be dressed. It's too early to see that ice fucker ass naked. Again._

She unlocked the door and poked her head through.

"Gray?" she called sweetly. "Are you decent? My _cousin_ is here."

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Getting to Hargeon was a small piece of hell. But then again, so was any transportation that wasn't via Exceed.

Natsu reflected on this as he lay sprawled in the dirt, waiting for the nausea to pass so he could move and track the Raijinshuu.

"Natsu? Are you alive?" Happy poked the groaning Slayer. They were just outside of the harbour town, the little blue Exceed having pulled the pinkette from the train before it pulled into the station.

 _At least Laxus didn't smell me._ That was the one saving grace of the train trip. It still sucked but it would all be worth it if it brought him to Lucy. He was determined to see her, to explain the issue about needing Lisanna but wanting the blonde. _There has to be a way to bypass the Dragon magic. Lucy's smart. She'll be able to work it out._

He'd broken into her apartment and slept there the previous night. It had stunk of Cobra but her sheets smelled solely of her.

Finally gaining back his senses from the dreaded motion sickness, Natsu dragged himself to his feet.

Natsu carefully sniffed the air, locating Bickslow's woody scent and Evergreen's floral perfume.

 _Freed smells kinda like Levy,_ he decided as he caught the Dark Écriture mage's books-and-ink smell. _But Laxus isn't with them. Which is great news for me!_

"Right, Happy. Let's go find Luce!"

"Aye sir!" the little blue cat cheered, flying after Natsu as he sprinted in the direction of his nakama.


	27. Chapter 27

Okay, so here goes my newest chapter and it's got some action in it! I've kind of already written the ending to this... I just have to figure out how to get there now!

Sorry about the delay! And thanks again to everyone following my madness :)

Hope you enjoy xx

Disclaimer: I don't, and never will, own Fairy Tail :(

 **Chapter 27.**

The carriage bumped along the road back to Hargeon. It's occupants sat in a comfortable silence until the communications lacrima buzzed in the pink haired girls hand.

"Huh?" Amalie answered it, expecting to see Laxus. The blonde had used his lightning to get back to the harbour city after Freed had called him with an 'issue'. He'd refused to give them anymore details, only saying it would be dealt with before the four of them arrived.

 _Gah... He drives me mental not explaining that kind of shit and just disappearing,_ Amalie thought with irritation as she answered the lacrima.

Erza's face appeared on the device; the Requip mage's expression one of muted fury.

"What's up, E?"

"Natsu followed Laxus," the redhead informed them, ignoring her friend's greeting and not bothering with small talk. "I'm heading to meet you now."

 _Issue equals the fire fucker._

"How about I just knock him out and leave him tied to a flagpole for you?" Amalie offered. She wholeheartedly meant it. "Our ship leaves port in a couple hours."

 _And no way in Caros is that flaming idiot coming with us,_ she added to herself. _Discreet just isn't in his play book._

Erza considered the offer before shaking her head. "No, I will deal with him. I knew I should have insisted he and Happy stay with me."

"Or we could catch him and tie him to the bow of the ship," Lucy suggested with an uncharacteristic evil laugh. Her big brown eyes danced with mischievousness. "Like a flaming, vomiting figurehead."

Everyone stared at the sweet blonde in surprise.

 _She must have more crazy shit going on in her head than what she verbalises,_ the pinkette thought with extreme amusement as Erza roared with laughter on the other side of the lacrima.

"Didn't know you had it in you, Luce," Gray noted quietly with a chuckle. His gaze at the blonde was affectionate and Amalie felt a spike of jealousy.

 _Unnecessary emotion,_ she growled at herself. She'd heard whisperings around the Guild of the Ice Make mage and his playboy past. _Trust him. Don't overthink everything, you baka._

"Dude, that's fucken tame. You should have seen the image that went with it," Erik told him with a smirk and a chuckle. "And the circuit board was still pretty pissed about seeing your junk when he left. He would much rather have seen your mate naked."

Gray's cheeks flushed as pink as Amalie's hair before he settled a glare at the Poison Slayer. "He what?"

 **Erik! Behave, you raging asshole!** she told him off silently. **You say any more and I'll cut your balls off and feed them to you.**

He glared at her, knowing fully well she had the knife skills to carry out such a threat, but thankfully refrained from saying anything further.

"Forget it," he scowled, turning his attention back out the window instead.

Dark blue eyes met the pinkette's green ones, questioning what the Poison Slayer had just revealed and his sudden departure from the conversation. She shook her head slightly and rolled her eyes before pressing herself closer into his bare side. No way was she telling him about everything that Cobra knew.

"Now we have that over with..." Erza's voice made her focus back on the lacrima that was still connected with the Requip mage. "I've also brought Wendy and Carla. Carla had a vision last night about three ships coming to Hargeon and a battle."

"But we only just took out the camp yesterday morning," Amalie said. "There's no way ships can get from Caros to here in twenty four hours."

A white Exceed appeared on the screen. "I don't know when it will happen, but I saw what will happen if we aren't here when those ships arrive so I suggest your mission be delayed by a week."

 _This makes no sense. Why would she attack Hargeon?_ Then it hit her. _She has a weapon._

"She has a weapon of some sort," she repeated out loud. Gray's arm tightened around her shoulders. "I don't know what it is, but that's the only reason she'd attack without having support on land. She'd have to know the camp is gone by now."

Amalie racked her mind, trying to think what sort of weapons they'd been in possession of before Sera's reign. _Before Mother blew herself and half the castle up so I could escape the first time._

"No one there knew this was going down," Erik muttered. "I'd have heard it."

"Maybe there is another 'psycho' woman in charge of those people you captured," Lucy's voice was quiet and thoughtful. "Could it be that there's another camp in those woods? I mean, they do cover a fair bit of land but with three Dragon Slayers and Am.. I mean, Marley... Maybe we can find them a bit quicker?"

"Good idea, Lucy. We're about to pull into the station," Erza was back on the lacrima. "I'll fill the Raijinshuu on what's going on."

The redhead disconnected without so much as a 'goodbye'.

"Sneaky bitch still has soldiers out there then," Amalie growled. _Which means a decent fight._

"Guess this means we'll get to go hunting later," She grinned at her three companions, her mood shifting to nearly euphoric as she mentally thanked Gajeel. It had been many years since she'd been this excited over a new weapon. _This'll be an awesome exercise to train with my new sword._

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Erza and Laxus had taken care of the rogue Fire Slayer issue before Gray, Erik, Lucy and Amalie arrived at the pier.

They'd also, much to Gray's incredible amusement, tied him onto the railing at the front of the ship so he'd remain incapacitated.

 _They've made him into a figurehead like Lucy suggested._

"Ships been delayed by a week cause of the girl-Happy's prediction," the Lightning Slayer grunted at them before putting his sound pod on.

"I have a name, you oaf!" Carla huffed, put out by the big blonde's lack of respect. He, in typical Laxus fashion, blatantly ignored her.

"First hunt begins at dusk," he told them, glaring pointedly at Gray. "Try to keep all your fucken clothes on this time, stripper."

"Your _cousin_ doesn't seem to mind it," the Ice Mage mage retorted. He thought back to their late night swim and felt his cock twitch. _Don't think about her naked... Dammit! Why did I think that?_

"Gray, your shirt..." Lucy giggled. She stood close to the Poison Slayer who was studying Plue with a bored expression on his face. The little snowman shivered in the man's hands, but didn't appear to be harmed by him.

Gray eyed the little blonde as she watched her spirit interacting with the maroon haired man. _She seems pretty damn chummy with Cobra to be trusting him with her Spirits. Then again, he's been shacking up with her for a little while now._

The Slayer winked at Gray, obviously hearing his soul, before stiffening and standing up straight.

"Jupiter shot incoming!" Erik yelled, pointing in the direction he could hear the shot approaching.

 _How the fuck can he even know that?_ the Ice Make mage wondered.

"What is that?" the Change mage asked, glancing up at the Poison Slayer.

"A dark fucking magic cannon," he growled, pointing in the direction he'd heard it. "We've got about 23 seconds to impact."

"Shit," Amalie muttered, grabbing Gray's hand and towing him along as she sprinting towards the end of the pier. "I've got an idea but I need to get out further!"

 _Can she even stop it? That one shot ruined Erza's armour when Phantom Lord attacked._ He shook the thought from his head as they slid to a stop. _Doubting isn't gonna help._

"Ice Make: Floor!"

A path of ice spread in front of them and he scooped the pinkette up before sprinting down the path he'd created.

 _It's quicker if I carry her,_ he reasoned. It had been many years since he'd so much as slipped on an icy surface and he couldn't risk her falling.

He put her down when they made it a hundred metres out and stood behind Amalie, hands around her bare waist to keep her steady.

 _Wait... Wasn't she wearing a shirt before?_ He started down at her lacy pink bra curiously. _Seriously?_

"When did..." he began but his question was cut off.

"Matching panties, too," she stirred, looking back at him over her shoulder. "I'm not a hundred percent this'll work. I've never tried to stop a magical cannon shot before."

 _No. We're not dying here. This is not how it ends._

"It will. It has to - it's your turn to cook dinner when we get home," he replied, trying to make light of it to reassure her. He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "If anyone can do it, it's you."

"Clearly, you haven't seen me attempt to cook before. I'm pretty shit!" she giggled.

The sound of the shot was nearly deafening now and Gray watched as Amalie thrust her hands in front of them and made contact with the destructive blast.

The force pushed them back as far as they'd come, and he grunted as one of the pillars holding the pier up connected painfully with his back, winding him slightly. It creaked but held as it braced them.

 _Shit!_

His thoughts went back to the previous night when they'd lain together, basking in the afterglow of their love making. She'd admitted her terror about facing her sister again and not being able to defeat her, that the loneliness she'd felt before re-joining Fairy Tail had nearly driven her to madness, and that she was desperately against becoming the next Queen of Caros.

His protectiveness of her was nearly overwhelming. They had to beat this; Caros had to be defeated. They both deserved a happy ending, or in the very least, a less difficult future.

He wrapped his arms tighter around her middle. Her pink hair whipped him in the face.

"I've never... This magic," he heard the pinkette yell as she struggled with the pressure on her hands.

"Come on, babe! You've got this!" he shouted, burying his face into her neck.

Gray felt her magic swell as Amalie finally gained control over the foreign power. He could feel the essence of her using his Ice magic.

"Change: Snow!"

A blizzard burst around them, the Jupiter shot now as harmless as a glitter bomb, and they both nearly fell forward as the sudden change in pressure.

Amalie sagged in his arms, panting, before turning and resting her face on his chest. He moved a hand up to gently cup the back of her neck as he silently held her close.

"Thanks for believing in me, Gray."


	28. Chapter 28

Eeep... Sorry for the delayed update! Thank you to my wonderful reviewers and everyone who's following my ramblings :)

So I'm headed to Thailand in a few days for three weeks so there might be chapter updates (I mean, it's a 10 hour flight each way and I don't sleep when I fly, even on a red eye) or there might not...

So here's a lil from Laxus, Natsu and Amalie hangs out with Bickslow (because I've been reading some of Apriiil and GemNika's Bixlu stories and I've come to love him nearly as much as Laxus and Gray). Oh, and a crack ship :)

Unfortunately, I don't own Fairy Tail... But holy shit, how INCREDIBLE are the recent Manga chapters?! The Christmas special made me laugh my arse off... So inappropriately awesome!

 **Chapter 28.**

The snow whirled around the pier; a small blizzard in the middle of summer that dissipated as suddenly as it had occurred, leaving barely any remnants behind as the tiny flakes of ice melted before they had even touched the ground.

"She succeeded," the red haired Re-Quip mage noted softly, more so to herself than to the large blonde man beside her. A gentle smile lit her face. "Her magic has definitely grown over the years."

Laxus merely grunted in response. He was beyond pissed off that Amalie had taken the risk of stopping the Jupiter Cannon's shot. Sure, it had saved Hargeon and the people there, but he knew that the odds of success had been far from optimal. Erza clad in her Adamantine Armour beside him only confirmed that he wasn't the only one who knew the chance of a positive outcome had been slim.

He stomped away from the redhead and up to the end of the pier, growling menacingly when he looked down to see Gray holding Amalie tightly on the ice platform below him.

"Chill, you Neanderthal. Seriously, who the fuck growls at people?! Use your words," she snapped in response. He could feel his annoyance growing further when she made no move to disengage from the Ice Make mage.

"That was the dumbest thing you've ever done, kitten," Laxus told her, glaring at Gray. He offered his hand to the pinkette. She let go of the raven haired man hesitantly, glaring back up at the blonde. His impatience kicked in. "Hurry the fuck up, kitten. We got fifteen minutes til that cannon can shoot again."

Her small hand latched onto his. The contact thrilled him more than he wanted to admit, even if she was pinching the skin between his thumb and forefinger with her nails in silent defiance to having to follow his orders.

 _She ain't yours. Well, she was but I fucked up,_ he berated himself.

Shaking his head to clear it, Laxus pulled Amalie up beside him. He stared down at her when she stumbled slightly, and used his bicep to brace herself. The sensation of her gentle touch was overwhelming as he breathed in her scent, the normal wildness of her was dulled slightly by the magic depletion she was trying to hide.

He released a guttural growl before he could stop himself.

"Oh, for the love of Mavis!" she cried, pushing off his arm and snatching her hand back out of his grasp. "I'm fine! The dark magic just took a bit to Change, is all!"

 ** _Protect her,_** the Dragon in his mind demanded harshly. **_They want to take her away._**

Laxus growled again, blindly trying to grab the pinkette as a possessive rage clouded his vision and he lost control to the beast inside himself.

Amalie whirled nimbly away from his reaching hand, and he was suddenly face to face with a very unimpressed looking Gray.

"Back off, Laxus." The smaller man's voice was quiet and steady, but his words held an unspoken threat as he held the blonde's stormy gaze.

 ** _Mate._**

That single word brought his inner dragon to a slamming halt as the Lightning Slayer regained control of himself

"Bout fucking time you acknowledged that," Cobra's low voice met his ears, clearly meant only for him to hear. Laxus turned on the maroon haired man with a scowl as he continued, "Although it would have been an interesting fight."

Thankfully, the Poison Slayer didn't say anything loud enough for anyone else to hear about Laxus' brief loss of control or the reason behind it. He just stayed standing beside Lucy with his arm slung lazily around the blonde's shoulders.

"Well, if that little display of testosterone is finished, we have about eleven minutes until the Jupiter Cannon can fire another shot," Erza said, her tone dry. She looked unimpressed by her Guild mates antics. "I suggest you and Natsu patrol the border for any land based armies that may invade while the rest of us take out the boats."

 _Fucking motion sickness._ Laxus hated being ordered around, but the redhead had a point. Both he and the Fire Slayer were almost useless on anything that could even remotely be referred to as a vehicle. _Least I'm not as bad as the flametard. Wonder how many times he's actually hurled on Blondie?_

He nodded once at the Requip mage in silent agreement and turned to where Evergreen and Bickslow stood together off to the side. Freed was still aboard the boat keeping an eye on the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Get the flame fucker off the boat, Bicks."

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

"Reckon there'll be anyone out here? I'm all fired up!" Natsu cheered, lighting his fists on fire.

A large part of him was still disappointed that he wasn't part of the team out on the front line, but he was also relieved.

 _They just had to attack us on boats,_ he cringed. _And the way they rock…_

He was feeling great now he wasn't tied to that floating piece of hell, but just the memory of it made him feel slightly nauseous again.

 _Motion sickness ruins everything fun._

Beside him, Laxus only grunted in response as they paced the perimeter of Hargeon for the third time.

 _Erza said there should be people to fight. Man, they'd better hurry up. This guard stuff is boring!_ the pinkette grumbled to himself. He glanced over at Laxus, deciding to bait the bigger man to pass the time.

"You've got a thing of that weird chick," Natsu stated with a smirk. The big blonde glared down at him, clearly not expecting the pinkette to have any insight into anything that might involve feelings and emotion. "Do you think she's your mate?"

Even though he'd felt like death stuck on that boat, he was far from blind. Natsu had seen what had happened when Amalie had tried to put some distance between herself and the Lightning Slayer. His reaction couldn't be described as anything other than possessive.

 _And, boy, was ice prick pissed about that,_ he thought with another smirk. It wasn't everyday Natsu got to see that side of Gray. It had been a long time since he'd been that protective of someone. _I don't even think he acted that way with Juvia. But she was kinda scary obsessive._

"What do you know about mates?" Laxus retorted with a snort.

"More than you do," the Fire Slayer countered. "You keep trying to rub your scent on her but it won't work cause the ice princess can't smell stuff like we can."

Lightning crackled around the bigger slayer as he increased his speed but Natsu kept up easily.

 _Who'd have known it would be this much fun to tease the spark plug._

"I don't need your fucking advice, flametard," Laxus growled. "You fucked up when you ditched Blondie for the demon's kid sister."

The pinkette could feel his own anger rising as the blonde's words hit a still raw nerve. "That's different."

 _It wasn't deliberate. I couldn't help it._

Laxus laughed humourlessly. "Yeah, you're right - it's worse."

Natsu's last semblance of his scarce self control snapped and, with a furious growl, he leapt at his superior.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

It had been decided that the remaining eight Fairy Tail mages would split into three groups and attack the ships simultaneously.

Amalie had been paired with Bickslow to provide cover for Erza, Lucy, Wendy and Erik to get to the ship housing the Jupiter Cannon before they moved in to join the more close range fighting.

Wendy had fixed her broken hand before they'd all moved out and she could now hold her bow easily as she stood beside Bickslow on the babies, waiting for Erza's signal to attack.

Her exquisite new sword hung at her hip; her magic had been too low to requip it when Freed had delivered it to her.

 _Gajeel really has done a wonderful job with it._

It balanced perfectly to be wielded with one hand and seemed completely unaffected by her magic when she Changed it briefly to test how quickly her magic was restoring itself. She suspected he'd infused it with some of his Dragon steel as it was heavier than the katana form it had previously taken, but, fortunately, it no longer held the nightmares inflicted by the Fear mage when she touched it.

 _I missed you,_ Amalie thought as she absently stroked the cool steel hilt. _You're all I have left of Father._

"So you and the stripper, hey?" the Seith mage broke the silence, grinning lecherously at the pinkette. His tongue lolled out, showing his guildmark. "His icy sled's riding your slope?"

 _Oh Mavis. That's the worst one I've ever heard from him,_ Amalie though with a roll of her eyes.

"How's Levy?" she shot back. She could smell the small bluenette all over him, and not in a nakama sort of way. "Bet she dominates your arse."

Bickslow laughed. "Yeah. There was this one time at the Guild..."

"Bicks!" Amalie interrupted, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. She did not want to hear about the sexual antics of her guildmates.

"She does this thing with her tongue..." he continued on, wholly enjoying the pinkette's embarrassment.

"Too much information, you kinky shit!" she interrupted him again before he could reveal exactly where the solid script mage's mouth had been.

The Seith mage cackled, stopping only when she shoved him unceremoniously off the totems. He fell with a splash into the ocean below and the pinkette could feel the little souls under her feet humming with laughter.

None of them had moved to stop their perverted master's fall, a fact he spluttered about when he resurfaced.

"Babies!" the Seith mage moaned dramatically. "How could you!"

"Stop dicking around, Bicks," Amalie told him with a smirk, her tone unapologetic.

"Only person I'm dicking is the bookworm," Bickslow retorted with a snicker as three of the totems swooped down and lifted him from the water.

Amalie raised an eyebrow and stared at him. Sometimes she just couldn't comprehend the perverted or random responses he gave. "Really?"

"Why? You interested in riding this pony?" he asked with a leer as he reached over to wrap a wet arm around the Change mage's slim waist. She elbowed him hard in the ribs but he only laughed at her.

"Two things… One. Ew. Never gonna happen. And two, Erza just gave the signal," she replied. His arm dropped as he silently prepared himself for the battle.

Amalie could feel the usual euphoria of impending violence flood through her veins with a welcome roaring rush. It blocked everything else out and sharpened her senses.

She could smell the scent of every soldier on the ships.

 _All one hundred and three of them._

 _ **Fight. Kill. Win,**_ the Hunter purred in her mind with unadulterated delight as Amalie reached into her quiver and notched the bow.

 _Yes,_ she agreed. A small smile graced her lips as she loosed the first of many arrows.


	29. Chapter 29

Hello followers :) So I'm back! Writing didn't exactly happen while I was on holiday and I've been having a bit of a brain fart about where to go next with this dribble. Inspiration for the appearance of a surprise guest at the end of this chapter comes from Dfields3710 back in September... Thank you again to everyone for reading my (hopefully not too bad!) story!

I'll do an update on Laxus and Natsu soon-ish... But atm, let's just assume they're still brawling out in the woods :)

I don't own any part of Fairy Tail... Hiro Mashima is the genius behind it all!

 **Chapter 29.**

There had, surprisingly, been more soldiers aboard the Jupiter Cannon ship than Erza had first expected. She'd known there would be a few - _maybe three to five mages?_ \- to man the cannon and ensure it's charge.

She just hadn't expected eight mages, three of them dark, to be on hand.

The redhead reflected on this error of judgement sourly as she Requipped from her Fire Empress armour into her Sea Empress armour. It was rare that she underestimated an enemy or threat.

 _At least Am and Bickslow's cover worked,_ she mused as she used her swords to neutralise the attack thrown at her by a lean blonde Fire mage before moving towards the stairs that lead down to where the cannon was hidden from obvious view.

The Change mage's arrows had provided a good - albeit predictably excessive, as was Fairy Tail's way – explosive distraction that had allowed Lucy, Cobra and herself to board the ship in the chaos to put the flames out.

 _You'd think they'd at least have a water mage,_ she thought with a smirk as she recalled all the times in the past that Juvia had come in handy when Natsu had been at large on a mission. _Shame it all turned out as it did with her. When she wasn't so crazy, she was pleasant company._

Erza managed to get in close to the Fire mage and buried her gauntlet clad fist into his face before throwing him overboard.

 _That's my three..._ She chanced a look in Lucy's direction and felt herself fill with pride. The small blonde was in her element; the brief training sessions she'd had with both Erza and Amalie had improved her manoeuvrability and the holes in her defences weren't quite as obvious.

Cobra was actually smiling as he pummelled the last dark mage he'd caught before tossing him over the railing and calling to Erza, "Yeah, she's pretty fucking awesome."

 _I forgot he can hear me... The convergent cannon blast seemed smaller than Phantom Lord's one was. There should only be two or three charging cylinders,_ she thought. _There's no room for any more than that._

"I hear ya, Red," the maroon haired man commented, watching with a smirk as Lucy finally finished her own fight by Lucy-kicking the mage from the ship. "Nice work, Jugs."

"Seriously?!" The Celestial Mage demanded of the nickname. She met the Slayer's gaze furiously before blushing and looking away. "You're so original, Erik."

The red head made a note to interrogate the blonde later as to what her relationship was with the Poison Slayer. She wouldn't stand idly by if the man was defiling her friend.

"Two," Cobra finally announced. "There are two points of charge. And I ain't fucking defiling her! Why the fuck does everyone think that? Just cause I'm a criminal, doesn't mean I'm a fucking sexual predator."

"She didn't mean it like that," Lucy hurried to placate the sulking Slayer, ignoring the Requip mage's curious gaze as she rubbed his arm comfortingly. "Erza, that was a bit rude."

 _Perhaps I'm being too harsh,_ Erza thought grudgingly as she looked around to make sure the deck was indeed clear. _Lucy certainly seems to have taken a shine to him. That's got to mean something. And Am's got him wrapped around her little finger._

"Hardly!" Cobra barked his objection.

"You may strike me later for speaking ill of him, Lucy."

It wasn't a direct apology, but it was the closest Erza could get.

.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.

Gray had watched Amalie's minor altercation with Bickslow with amusement - a sentiment that was clearly not entirely shared by the drenched Seith mage. The shit eating grin that his face normally wore was replaced by a more serious demeanour when he and the babies, quite literally, dropped the pinkette off to join him.

"Hey, handsome. You ready to do this?" she purred as she landed lightly in a crouch on the Ice Make path beside him. Her eyes fixed intently at the ship they'd been assigned.

 _Like an exceed with a mouse,_ he thought with a wry grin.

He hummed in response as she slung her bow over her shoulder, requipped her sword, and reached for his hand. A small shock of magic ran through him at the touch and Amalie threw him a wide smile as their fingers linked together.

Suddenly the scents in the air were sharper, and somehow identifiable and categorised in his mind like an encyclopedia.

 _Holy shit. What the hell?_ It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. _No wonder most of the Slayers are such grumpy dicks. How the hell do they concentrate?_

"Be safe, Gray. I need you around," she murmured, her soft voice bringing him out of his thoughts as she squeezed his fingers.

He forced his focus off the distracting new sensation of smell and met her gaze evenly. "You too, Am."

They stayed like that, in comfortable silence, as Gray tried to rationalise just why he was suddenly able to share her magic. He decided on it being something to do with the mate bond the dark mage had spouted.

He was just getting comfortable enough to ask the Change mage about the whole mate bond thing when Lucy's pink haired spirit appeared.

 _Perfect timing,_ he thought sarcastically before berating himself for being so rude. Virgo had proved a godsend on countless occasions, whether it be bringing him clothes (which happened more often than not) or forcing her own gate open when the Celestial mage was low on magic to help out with first aid when Team Natsu came unstuck on a mission.

"Princess asked that I alert you to begin your attack," the shackled spirit told them with a bow before disappearing again.

"Lucy's?" Amalie enquired.

"One of her Zodiac keys. Let's do this," he murmured, dropping a chaste kiss to the crown of her pale pink head.

She smiled up at him and nodded. "Yeah."

As soon as their hands parted, his senses dulled again. Gray made a mental note to definitely ask the pinkette about it later without chickening out.

They ran to the ship and leapt up onto the deck with the help of a quick burst of ice to propel them up.

 _Somethings wrong..._

It was empty.

"Shit," Amalie cursed from beside him.

Gray glanced over at her. Her long copper hair was back and wild emerald eyes met his.

"Shit..." he echoed.

"Anti magic lacrimas," she confirmed grimly before gasping and grabbing at her waist, nearly doubling over as her face paled.

His eyes slid down her still mostly bare torso to where the wound on her side had reopened.

A thick line of blood crawled over her fingers and trailed down her stomach.

"What the hell?" Gray demanded. He'd never seen anti magic lacrimas reopen magically healed wounds. Or change someone's magically altered appearance back. This kind of spell was completely new to him.

"Hurts even more this time around," Amalie grunted. She was silent for a few moments before snatching up his hand. "I'm sorry, Gray. This is going to sting."

"Wha..." he was cut off as heat seared through his veins. He hadn't felt that sort of heat in all his years of being an Ice Make mage.

His blood felt like it was boiling as he felt a foreign magic forced into him and he bit back a cry of surprise.

As quickly as it had happened, it disappeared. The only sensation that remained was a slight pressure at the back of his mind like the beginnings of a headache.

"What did you do?" Gray demanded, wrenching his hand from hers.

"It should only be temporary," Amalie whispered, her tone apologetic. "I've kind of... Shared my blood line magic. You'll need it if we're attacked now. It'll help your reflexes and fighting."

Her words begged him to understand what she'd done.

 _Should be temporary..._ "And what if it's not temporary?"

"She doesn't know," a deep masculine voice interrupted.

Both Ice Make and Change mage's head jerked in the direction it came from to see a tall, dark haired man standing at the hull of the ship.

"Who are you?" Gray demanded. He could feel the magical pressure flowing off the man in disconcerting waves. "The lacrimas don't affect you..."

"Good observation, boy," the man sneered, turning his attention to Amalie. "Bravo, little princess. I knew the news that you were dead was too good to be true. It was too convenient."

 _He looks familiar but how?_ Gray thought.

The pressure in his head pulled at an old memory he'd deliberately locked away.

 _He was crying in the devastation that had once been a thriving village. Warm blood stained his pants as he knelt next to the rubble of his house._

 _His parents hadn't made it outside when Deliora attacked, and the expanding puddle of thick red was a guarantee that they never would._

 _"Mum! Dad!" Gray wailed, digging at the stones until his small fingers were a bloodied torn mess._

 _His efforts made hardly any impact; it didn't get him any closer to finding them._

He couldn't believe it.

No, he wouldn't believe it.

Not even when the single whispered word fell from Amalie's lips, barely audible, to confirm it.

"Silver…"

.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.


	30. Chapter 30

Oops... Sorry about the delayed update... I hope you enjoy :) I dunno what to think about it... It's not my best but I've had a bit of a block and been writing bits and pieces. This is kind of an amalgamation of that! No beta, so please be kind :D

Thanks again to everyone who's favourite, followed, reviewed and read - you're all amazing xx

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Fairy Tail :/

P.S How amazing are the new FT manga chapters?!

 **Chapter 30.**

The town of Magnolia was bustling. Street vendors were setting up their stalls for the day and the smell of fresh baking filled the streets.

The peaceful monotony of the regular townspeople's routines was lost on Lisanna as she hurried through the streets on her way to the Guild.

The Animal Soul Take Over mage had been searching for her mate since earlier in the morning. She'd assisted him home the previous night, after declining Ezra's _kind_ offer to knock the intoxicated mage out for her.

 _And he was out like a light as soon as Happy and I dumped him on the couch. So where is he now?_

She'd looked everywhere she could think of – his house, Lucy's apartment ( _She really needs to fix that window lock. Breaking in really was way too easy..._ ), the forest, the park – but so far had had no luck locating Natsu or the little blue Exceed that was practically glued to his side most of the time.

She sighed and pushed the heavy timber guild doors open, narrowly avoiding a stray beer mug.

Lisanna had felt inexplicably drawn to the Dragon Slayer since the moment they'd met. The years she'd been stuck in Edolas away from him had been physically painful to begin with. She'd gotten so used to the continuous ache in her chest that when she was finally returned to Earthland, simply just being near him again made the white haired girl feel whole.

The ache had returned a few hours ago. It wasn't as nearly crippling as it had been when she'd been in Edolas, but it was still there and it filled her with apprehension.

"Morning Lisanna!" Mira chirped as she slid onto a stool at the bar.

"He's not here," Lisanna whispered, more to herself than her sibling, as she gazed around the half empty guild.

"Natsu?" her older sister asked as she absently polished a beer mug. "I haven't seen him at all this morning. Erza, either."

 _They must have left for a mission already,_ she decided with a pout.

Lisanna was silently grateful that Lucy was away on her own mission with Gray. She wasn't quite at Juvia's level of believing the blonde was a 'love rival', but she was cautious, and even somewhat jealous, of their close relationship.

 _And I was gone a long time. I thought he'd replaced me with her._

Contrary to popular belief, there wasn't any bad blood between the youngest Strauss and the Celestial mage. The white haired girl had great respect for the blonde mage and her incredibly graceful handling of the extremely awkward situation that had been Natsu publicly announcing his decision to recognise Lisanna as his mate.

She'd known there was something going on between the team mates – she'd seen the brief devastation on the blonde's face before she'd forced herself to smile and congratulate them - but the Fire Slayer had remained uncharacteristically tight lipped about the situation.

"Where are the Raijinshuu?" Lisanna asked, earning a slight blush from Mira-Jane at the mention of the team.

The Satan Soul Take Over mage had been trying to keep her relationship with a certain Sieth mage secret, even though she constantly meddled with everyone else's love lives. The youngest Strauss had only been able to confirm it was in fact the Guild's resident pervert when she'd busted him trying to sneak out of the house she shared with her siblings early one morning.

"They headed out this morning, too. Hargeon way, I think," Mira finally replied as she got her blush under control.

 _Lucy went to Akane with Gray,_ Lisanna recalled with a start. The uneasy feeling grew in her chest. _That's probably where Natsu went..._

Lisanna waited until Mirajane was distracted and slipped out of the guild.

.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.

The air between them was silent and unnerving. Amalie's hand cramped painfully as the lacrima power reversed the most recent healing that Wendy had done only an hour or so earlier.

She swore that Gray had forgotten how to breathe as soon as she had named their foe.

 _But why?_ she wondered, knowing that it was neither the time nor the place to ask the Ice Make mage about his reaction. She glanced at her lover quickly. _He looks as though he's seen a ghost._

"I see you've jumped ships, Sub Zero. No pun intended," she spat. His smirk grew wider at her words. "And to think my mother thought you were worth saving."

She remembered the day they had found him vividly. It had been the first time her mother had actually needed her Change magic.

The scar on the left side of his forehead had faded slightly, his dark hair more peppered with grey than she remembered.

 _need our magic to defeat them all._

 ** _Check the mast. The highest point of the ship would give the widest reach for the lacrima,_** the Hunter advised.

 _About time you suggested something,_ Amalie grumbled as she silently handed her beloved sword to Gray and pulled a couple of knives out from where they were hidden in thigh sheaths under her shorts. "Here. Keep him busy. I suspect there's a lacrima up in the mast."

Without waiting for him to respond, she scaled up the rope ladder and found the glowing device right where the Hunter had said it would be. Noise from below caught her attention and she glanced down to see Gray engaging several of the soldiers that had finally worked up the courage. They were interrupted when Sub Zero threw himself, or rather his magic, into the fray and the Ice Make mage scrambled to avoid being struck.

Amalie hammered at the lacrima with the hilt of her knife until it cracked. One more hit and the stone dulled completely.

 _That seemed too easy?_ She frowned as she quickly climbed back down, jumping the last couple of meters to land on a man trying to sneak up on the Ice Make mage.

"You did it? Because I still can't feel my magic," he grunted as he drove his elbow into a large woman soldier's face.

A blast of magic from Sub Zero had both Fairy Tail members diving out of it's path.

"That was a cheap shot!" Amalie screamed at the older man as she rolled to her feet.

"It truly is amazing how lady fate works," Silver drawled as he launched a magical attack at them. "To think you found my son, of all people, and attached yourself to him."

 _Son?!_ She had a brief second to mull over the word before the attack reached them.

Amalie grunted as the magic singed her fingers when she tried to Change it before ducking to avoid the attack.

 _Shit. There must be a second lacrima. Hunter, ideas as to where it might be?!_

Glancing over at Gray, she saw him grappling with two soldiers. She flipped to her feet and snatched back up her knives before charging at Silver before he could take aim at her mate.

 ** _Don't kill him..._** the Hunter murmured. It somehow sounded preoccupied in her head.

 _Why?!_ Amalie demanded. _He's on Sera's side. He's helping her!_

Silver blocked her knife easily. She dove under the fist he aimed at her chin and tried to sweep his legs out from under him.

 _ **The soldiers. How many do you sense?**_

She slowed her attacks slightly and did a quick count.

Too many were gone for it to have all been Gray without his magic while she was up on the mast.

 _Dammit, you're annoyingly right like always._

Taking advantage of her distraction, Silver's fist caught her in the ribs right above the re-opened arrow wound.

Amalie's world went black.

.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.

"I'm all fired up!"

Natsu's catch phrase had Laxus wincing. He hated that repetitive, obnoxious battle cry.

 _Does that moron ever give up?_ He knew the answer was a resounding no, and he decided that his fellow Slayer must have had a couple of dozen too many hits to the head.

Growling gutturally at him, the big blonde tackled the smaller man back into the thicket of trees.

"You're... Just mad... That it's obvious... You dig the new chick," the pinkette grunted back, his fist connecting with the blonde's chest as he rolled away from him. "And she's with ice stripper and not you."

"You need to shut your fucking mouth. You know nothing, twerp! Go back to Lisanna before the She-Devil drags you back by your ear."

Natsu rubbed subconsciously at his chest when the Lightning Slayer mentioned his mates name.

 _Strange..._ Laxus filed the motion into his brain to analyse later.

He always watched the dragon raised Slayers, and analysed their actions to try and identify Dragon traits. He didn't have the insight into the natures of the beasts like Gajeel, Sting, Rogue, Natsu and Wendy did. A lot of the urges he got felt foreign and unidentifiable.

Which was why it took him so long to realise he loved Amalie.

The chest rub thing the pinkette had just done had plagued Laxus for months after he'd left the Princess of Caros in her guilded castle.

He regarded Natsu now with annoyance. They were both covered in scrapes and bruises, neither managing to get a solid deciding hit in.

Distantly, he heard a boom.

"What was that?" Laxus asked, straightening up. Natsu just shrugged in response.

 _Probably one of bloody kitten's over the top explosions..._ She'd let one off on a job with him once and he'd hardly been able to hear for a week afterwards.

Natsu tried to take advantage of the Lightning Slayers' distraction, but the larger Slayer caught his fist in his much larger one without even looking at the pinkette.

"We need to get down to the pier, flametard. I can feel a magic pressure that's... Wrong."

"You sure you don't have gas?" the moron asked. "Cause sometimes that makes..."

 _For fuck's sake! First seeing Gray's junk, and now fire fucker is oversharing about his bodily functions. What the hell did I do wrong today to deserve this?!_

The blonde departed with his Lightning Body before the Fire Slayer could finish, determined to find the source of the strange magic pressure.

 _I'll even get on the fucking boat if I have to._

.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.


	31. Chapter 31

Hello again :) I know I've been slow updating and I really do apologise to everyone that's following! Lots of "life in general" going on atm!

In summary, this chapter contains: a flashback, Lucy's POV and some CoLu fluff... Next chapter will be back to Gray, maybe Lisanna (?), maybe some Laxus, and perhaps the revelation of some more crack pairings (BicksLe was a thing earlier, remember?)... Just ideas, though... I never quite know until I've rewritten what I've originally written a few times!

Special shout out to HimeHaeDen and wiccan for your reviews :) Ezra is getting her very own crack pairing in this but I'm thinking a LaxZa week needs to be done and soon!

I'm on the edge of my seat with the Manga atm - but still miles behind with the anime!

Once again, I own zero part of Fairy Tail except for my OC's.

 **Chapter 31.**

 _-FLASHBACK-_

 _Queen Kallee of Caros had decided against more modern forms of transport, instead choosing the traditional mode of horseback._

 _It was extremely fortunate that her youngest daughter, Amalie, took particular delight to the animals so she'd had no qualms of the three week long journey to visit the Queen's dear friend, the King of Fiore, and his green haired daughter._

When I took Seraphina on this trip when she was seven, she threw such an outrageous fit about it, _the woman thought. A smile of amusement lit her face as she recalled what felt like the longest journey ever taken in Earthland. Her eldest daughter's temperament wasn't quite as easy going as her youngest._ Going to war was definitely easier than dealing with her tantrums!

 _There was a commotion ahead and one of the foot soldiers appeared, racing in their direction. He came to a sliding halt in front of the Queen and bowed deeply._

 _"Your majesty, your highness… The village is… It's gone," the foot soldier, rather breathlessly, informed them._

Gone? _Kallee_ _sniffed the air delicately, her plump lips thinning into a line. The scent was not one she recognised, nor was it pleasant. It intermingled with the heavy metallic scent of blood._

 **Demon** _, the voice of the magic passed down to her from her own mother whispered helpfully into her mind._ **Its scent is a couple of days old.**

Thank you, old friend. I can always rely on your knowledge, _the Queen replied silently._

 _"We go on foot from here. There may be survivors and the horses hooves will be too noisy for us to hear any calls for help," Kallee ordered as she gracefully dismounted her large white horse. She moved to help her daughter from the back of her own black steed. "Would you like to stay with the horses, Amalie?"_

 _The little girl shook her head no, a determined look set on her innocent face._

Please let there be survivors, _the woman begged._

 _They'd come through this small Northern town and spent a night here nearly a week and a half ago, and had been welcomed warmly by the townspeople. Amalie had spent hours playing with the other children, and had come home at sundown laughing with her knees grazed and hair tangled wildly._ _She'd been more excitable than the Queen could ever remember seeing her._

She needs to get out of the castle more when we get home, _Kallee decided as she glanced down at her daughter's identically coloured crown of copper hair._ Away from rules and expectations. And Seraphina.

 _The silence was eerie now as the group of ten walked into the once vibrant town._ _The air around them felt strangely suffocating; the streets filled with red ice and rubble._

After being responsible for so many deaths myself, the sight of innocent people dead still sickens me.

 _"Mother..." Amalie whimpered, clutching the Queen's hand tightly to stop herself from falling when she tripped on the uneven ground. "Is anyone alive?"_

 _Kallee drew on her magic carefully and cast it out wide._

 _It was a taboo magic, a form of Black Arts, and using it offensively allowed her to immobilise and kill without ever having to come into contact with the enemy. She'd stopped an entire invading army once by making the enemy soldiers' blood boil with a widespread casting. Due to the size of the spell, she couldn't actually focus enough energy to kill but the extreme pain and discomfort that her magic had inflicted had been enough to deter them._

 _Now she was using it to look for heartbeats. To find a warm blood source - if there were any to be found._

 _-END FLASHBACK-_

.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.

As planned, the three jumped from the ship after defeating the mages on board, and swam as quickly as they could away from it. Lucy found herself wondering for the thousandth time just how Erza managed to float and didn't drown decked out in all her armour. Cobra snickered at her musings from her other side.

"It's cause she'd got massive tits," he provided unhelpfully. "Not nearly as good as yours though, Jugs."

"I'm not sure if that constitutes a compliment, Cobra," the blonde snapped back as a light red blush crept up her cheeks.

 _Why do people always notice my chest?! Surely my face isn't that bad! Ugh… All men are perverts. I really need some gay male friends._ Lucy was distracted as she tried to think if she actually knew any gay men in their guild that she could befriend.

"Maybe that balloon looking man," the Poison Slayer suggested. Lucy tried to stare him down with a glare as they bobbed gently in the water, but his grin disarmed her annoyance. "Cause what straight man paints anything that isn't a naked chick or giant penises?"

"Something's wrong," Lucy pointed out as she managed to break clear of his alluring purple gaze in time to see several soldiers blasted clear of the ship that Gray was supposed to be on. "Am… I mean, Marley was supposed to blow up our ship by now."

"You're correct, Lucy. Perhaps we should go an assist them?" Erza asked as she too turned to look at the second ship.

"No. We need to go to ship three. I can smell blood. And no magic," Cobra told the women. He took off at a brisk pace that Lucy, despite her copious swimming training when she was younger, struggled to match.

 _Stupid Slayers. Stupid enhanced abilities,_ she grumbled in her head as she finally made it close to the third ship. Her limbs felt heavy and sore, unused to what she was putting them through. _I really need to physically train more._

"Lucy!" Erza's yell made her look up sharply to see the Requip mage standing near the edge of the ship fighting with someone that was just out of sight. "Stay there! The ship has been laced with anti-magic lacrimas!"

 _Crap! Good thing she told me! I'd have been useless up there. I need my magic to activate my whip! Note to self – start carrying a normal whip again as well._

The red head disappeared briefly before reappearing and tossed a scantily clad, green haired woman off the side.

"Evergreen!" the Celestial mage gasped as she recognised the garish clothing. She swam as quickly as she could to retrieve the unconscious woman and pull her face out of the water.

"Take her to shore! We'll be right behind you!" the red head called as she disappeared once again from view.

Lucy nodded to herself and pulled out Gemini's key. Her relationship with Aquarius has been better lately since she'd increased her magical power under the guidance of Capricorn, but she decided she didn't want to ruin that progress by calling the temperamental mermaid spirit out now.

"Gemi!"

"Mini!"

The twins popped out in a small burst of light, joyfully crowding Lucy's head as she struggled to keep both herself and the Fairy mage afloat.

"How can we," Mini began.

"Help you, Princess?" Gemi finished.

"Can you please turn into Juvia and help me get Evergreen to shore as quickly as possible?"

"That crazy…"

"Rain lady?"

Lucy struggled to contain her giggle at their accurate description of the Water mage. "Yes, that's her."

The little spirits linked hands and transformed into the bikini clad version of the bluenette that they'd copied at the Grand Magic Games the previous year.

"Water Dome!"

.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.

The Celestial mage was sleeping on the warm sand, her blonde hair almost the same shade as the golden grains beneath her.

Cobra had seen her there when he'd finally returned from the third ship half dragging the injured Bickslow with him.

It had taken a few minutes for them to regain their magic when they'd finally escaped the anti-magic lacrimas range, but Fairy Tail's resident pervert had been too exhausted to call on the souls of the little totems tucked safely into his pockets.

Once he'd deposited the Seith mage at the makeshift infirmary, he'd made his way back to where Lucy lay.

He felt bad for leaving her behind when he'd gone to help the Raijinshuu, but he'd heard enough from her soul to know she hated being coddled and protected. She wanted to fight and her magic was undeniably stronger than she was given credit for. He'd be damned if he didn't allow her that small independence that Team Natsu seemed to frequently deny her.

Erik dropped to the sand beside the small blonde and admired her peaceful face before he pulled her gently into his side.

She awoke with a startled and undignified snort.

"Who.. Oh, it's you, Cobra," Lucy mumbled as she relaxed against him when she realised it was the Poison Slayer holding her. Her small hand slid lightly over his scarred and muscled stomach, making him tense at the tickling sensation.

 **Ah! He's ticklish!** Her soul cried in delight. He could feel the grin creeping onto her lips against his bare chest at the discovery. **That's so cute!**

 _Cute?! The fuck!? I am_ not _cute!_ He seethed silently. He chose, however, to ignore her revelation lest he admit the weakness.

"Erik," he told her quietly. "I'd prefer if you called me Erik, Bright Eyes."

They lay in comfortable silence until a crackle of lightning streaked over them, headed straight for the ships.

"Was that…" Lucy began.

"The human light bulb," Cobra confirmed. The Poison Slayer was sure as hell the Lightning Slayer had no idea about the anti-magic lacrimas, and, with the pace he was going at, he wouldn't be able to stop in time when his magic disappeared.

 _This is going to be the funniest shit I've seen all day!_

"Hey Jugs, ever seen a human cannonball?"


	32. Chapter 32

Okay, so I thought this was going to be kind of a filler chapter cause I wanted to get off the boats and on with the story... Only 2 POV's this time, but I'm actually really happy with how it turned out :) I wasn't too thrilled with the last chapter.

Like always, I have no ownership over Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima is the god who created it.

P.S Yay for making it over 50k words :D

 **Chapter 32.**

Gray had seen his father connect with Amalie and watched helplessly as she collapsed.

A feral snarl escaped his lips as he moved between the other male and his mate's unmoving form. Whilst the undeniable fact remained that Silver was indeed his father, Gray still couldn't believe it. His emotions has been a whirlwind of conflict within him. One minute, he wanted this fight to be over so he could talk to the man but the next…

 _He's been alive this whole fucking time and never even tried to find me!_ The Ice Make mage thought furiously, the urge to destroy his father rising up like a tsunami through his body.

"You'll regret that," he swore. He tried summoning his magic but although he could feel it under the surface, it remained just out of his reach. There was a dull roaring and pressure in his head that he was doing his best to ignore as he launched himself at Silver once again.

 _This is harder than brawling with Natsu,_ he decided. His body was tiring fast, unused to the purely physical fighting. _Keep going. Find a way. Win._

His tiredness was starting to distract him and he just barely managed to dodge another of Silver's magical attacks, diving at the last possible moment out of the way. The essence of the icy magic the older man was using felt incredibly similar to Ice Make, yet more destructive and a hell of a lot darker.

His shoulder popped uncomfortably as he landed. Hard.

 _Fuck… I've dislocated it,_ he realised with a scowl. He struggled back to his feet, nursing the injured arm. _It won't stop me._

Unbidden, Gray's body shifted quickly to the side; narrowly avoiding the distinctly human bomb that had crashed through the deck with a barely audible but definitely masculine, "Fuck."

 _Right where Am had been_. _Shit! Where is she? Who was that?!_

The boat lurched violently as the man exited through the bottom, throwing the Ice Make mage hard against the railing. His ribs screamed in protest as they hit the steel.

"Gray!" Silver appeared in front of him. He reached out and snatched the younger mage out of the way as a piece of the mast crashed down.

"What are you doing?" Gray snarled. He wrenched his arm free of the man's grasp. "A minute ago you were trying to kill us!"

Silver ran a hand through his black hair and sighed. "Look, we need to find Milly and get back to shore. I'll explain everything when she's safe."

 _Milly? Where the hell does he get off giving her a nickname!? He's the reason she was passed out on the damn boat in the first place!_

"What the fuck, old man?" he demanded, glaring at him. "She'd be safe if you hadn't of hit her so fucking hard!"

"She would have been safe if you had of been listening to the fucking magic she gifted you with, not ignoring it!" his father snapped. "Now get off the damn boat!"

.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.

They had a compartment to themselves and Gray lay with his head in her lap asleep. He'd looked so emotionally and physically exhausted when they'd boarded the midnight train bound for Magnolia that his features had taken an ashen tint.

Amalie had pulled him down silently so he was laying across the seats, and started combing the fingers on her unbroken hand through his hair as she'd seen Lucy do to Natsu. The Ice Make mage had pretty much fallen asleep instantly.

 _He looks so peaceful,_ she thought with a small smile as she remembered how frantic he'd been when Laxus had accidently sank the ship and taken her with him. It had been sheer dumb luck that neither of them had drowned. _Mavis, that man is an idiot. Always acting before he thinks._

A scent that she would recognise anywhere met her nose. It reminded her of the first winter frosts and much happier times.

"You don't have to dawdle, Silver. I can smell you, you know," she drawled, her smile widening as the door slid open to reveal the older Ice Demon Slayer. He made no move to enter the compartment and a serious look masked his face.

 _No. He couldn't possibly…_

"You… You weren't going to tell him?" she guessed, green eyes piercing the shadows as they fixed on his black ones.

Silver's smile was grim as he nodded once. "You always were perceptive."

"You can't do that to Gray, Silver," she whispered. "You can't just sneak off in the middle of the night and hope he forgets you and moves on with his life."

Because she knew that he wouldn't. He was still desperately guilty about Ur, and had admitted that there were times when he felt completely alone even when he was surrounded by nakama at the guild. Silver just disappearing without any explanation would nearly kill his son all over again.

"I have twenty days or so left on Earthland, Milly. Then he has to say goodbye again."

Amalie's hand stilled in Gray's black hair. The Ice Make mage mumbled in his sleep, his breath cool against her t-shirt clad stomach, and the princess winced as the arm around her waist tightened. Poor Wendy had been low on magic when Laxus had finally finished blowing the remaining two ships up, electrocuting Silver and Gray in the process, and the four mages had returned to shore. The most she'd been able to do about the wound in Amalie's side was seal it back up so she wouldn't bleed to death. She couldn't do anything about the cracked ribs or the broken hand until she'd slept and refilled her magical containers.

"I can find a way. Maybe I can bind your life to mine. I mean, she was my mother! Surely the contract can be passed down cause of blood and all."

 _Because Gray needs you. I need you._ She couldn't say it out loud.

Silver moved forward and pressed his lips gently to her forehead. "I got to share many wonderful years that I didn't think I would ever live to see with you and your mother. You know the spell can't be cast on the same person twice."

He was right. The spell Kallee had cast on Silver while he was just barely clinging to life had been a complicated one, and had cost the Queen her Dark Arts magic. It was one that granted the person it was used on two years to live after the caster's death so they could take revenge if necessary.

"How did you get on that ship?" she asked softly. The lacrimas hadn't affected him so she'd wrongly assumed he's had a change in loyalties and chosen Seraphina.

 _I should have had more faith in him than that,_ she scolded herself.

"Hamish cast a work around on all the lacrimas when he created them, and I spelled the Captain into thinking I was working for Sera," he told her and held up his pinkie.

Amalie grinned. "You used d'mem."

He nodded, finally sitting on the seat across from them in a silent confirmation that he would remain.

.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.


	33. Chapter 33

So apparently lemons (albeit, not great ones) are what come out of mid week Baileys and avoiding homework and doing the dishes... I seriously have no idea how to get where I want to with this. I've written the last chapter and epilogue already but am kinda floundering here so please be kind with your reviews! xo

Beware! A new crack pairing ahead, too :) This is just a teaser of that ship - anyone wanna take a guess at who it is?

 **Chapter 33.**

The morning sky was clear of all clouds and the sun was busy chasing away the morning chill.

Erza observed the early calm and emptiness of Magnolia's streets as she walked from Fairy Hills to her favourite bakery. It was her morning ritual to head there for her breakfast cheesecake and cappuccino. Sometimes Lucy or Wendy would join her, but the Requip mage suspected the blonde was 'otherwise occupied' this morning and Wendy was still sleeping after having to heal her nakama after the battle the previous afternoon.

 _Cobra seemed especially possessive last night after Natsu spent the train ride with his head in Lucy's lap,_ she thought. As much as she loved the pink haired Slayer as if he were her won brother, his incredible ignorance drove her to near madness at times.

 _What was so wrong with sleeping in my lap? s_ he pouted at that thought. Erza prided herself on her abilities to comfort and soothe others, and Natsu's rejection had dented that a little. _I'm just frustrated._ _Perhaps it would be judicious to visit Sabertooth and relieve some tension before all hell breaks loose with Seraphina._

The thought of her lover at the rival guild brought an instant smile to her face. The attraction had been unexpected for both of them, but all consuming and passionate like something straight out of her romance novels. It had begun just after the Grand Magic Games a couple of months prior.

She'd been involved with Jellal prior to that, but he had disappeared again and Erza was plain old sick and tired of waiting around for him. She'd decided it was over when she'd woken up that last time in bed alone without even so much as a note.

It had hurt her more profoundly than any torture in the Tower of Heaven ever had.

She sensed a presence in a passing alley and glanced over with mild surprise to see the looming bulk of Fairy Tail's resident Iron Dragon Slayer.

"Gajeel," she greeted the dark haired man. "You're up early."

He merely grunted in response and fell into step beside her. It was rare but the big man did join her on occasion. He had a soft spot for French vanilla slices and Erza found his company tolerable, if not enjoyable. He was much like her lover - aloof but caring, fierce but empathetic, dangerous but comforting.

 _It's strange that I miss him. Perhaps I need to discuss this with Lucy later. She's got great taste in sexy underwear... I wonder what she's added to her collection lately? I haven't been through her drawer in a while. What would he like? Maybe black and lacy?_

"Ya shoulda told me there was gonna be a fight," he all but growled after several minutes of silence, interrupting the Requip mage's thought process. "The girl Happy said nuffing. Neither did the green guy when he came 'n got the lil dancer's sword offa me."

"Perhaps you ought to have followed Natsu's lead and simply stalked the Raijinshuu," the redhead suggested dryly. "But I don't believe you would have appreciated the fact we were on water crafts."

Gajeel's face turned an interesting shade of green at just the thought of it.

"There's more fights coming, Gajeel," Erza soothed, awkwardly patting his ridiculously large forearm a little too hard.

She pulled away to push through the bakery doors - a little too hard in her eagerness for the cake that awaited, breaking the frail glass doors.

Again.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

It was well past nine when Cobra finally stirred. He'd slept more deeply than he had in a long time - better than he even had after he'd escaped the Tower of Heaven and before he went to jail.

 _That flame tard wasn't kidding when he said Lucy's bed was comfortable,_ he thought grudgingly as he stretched. He could hear the blonde humming and the running water of the shower. He felt himself harden at the thought of seeing her naked body, water running down it. His mouth watered as he imagined his hands all over the smooth expanses of skin she showed off on a regular basis. _Wait a minute… Is she… Fucking herself?_

A low moan confirmed his suspicions and he could help but grin as he focused on listening solely to her soul. He picked her as being the sweet missionary 'making love' type. Never had he imagined that she's be the sort of woman to get herself off in the shower while she had a man in her bed.

After listening in on the fantasy that was on the play list of her self-love session – _handcuffs and leather? Seriously, jugs?_ – he decided to just go in there.

 _Cause I sure as hell don't look like that,_ he justified as he clumsily removed his clothes in his haste to make it to the bathroom door. _Gotta give her something more accurate to pleasure herself with._

He knew how he looked; he was covered in scars, both physical and mental, from his years of captivity and that wasn't solely due to the Tower or jail. He'd felt smothered and contained by Brain when he was a part of the Oracion Seis. Erik was certain Lucy hadn't noticed any of them. The three times he'd been shirtless around her he'd been protected by the darkness or the sheets.

He paused outside, unsure if he was doing entirely the right thing now. He wanted her more than anything before. Lucy was pure and sweet in comparison to his sarcastic and jaded view of the world.

 _Maybe I'm just too fucking damaged for her?_

Shaking the negative thoughts and clutching at what was left of his confidence, he slipped in the door quietly. Instantly, he was mesmerised by the sight of her glorious bare back and the curve of backside. Erik decided her figure was positively sinful.

Lucy moaned again and the Poison Slayer felt his groin swell even more than he'd previously thought possible. He carefully stepped into the shower, wrapping an arm around her waist and burying his face into the crook of her neck. The blonde nearly leapt out of her skin but his calloused palm clamped over her mouth to muffle the scream.

 **Who the fuck?!** Her soul darkened with fright before calming as he ran his fangs over her shoulder. **Co.. I mean, Erik. Oh shit, he knows what I was doing! Stupid, stupid, stupid! But now he's here… No! Bad Lucy!**

"Need some help there, Bright Eyes?" Erik asked, hating how uneven his voice sounded at the suggestion.

He felt the blonde freeze in his arms.

 _Fuck. I went too far..._

 ** _Fuck it. He's hot. Bad Lucy, you have the floor._**

His thoughts were wild and derailed when she arched her back, rubbing her perfect backside against his raging erection, and covered his hand on her waist with her own. Leaning her head back against his shoulder, she guided his hand down.


	34. Chapter 34

Okay, so I chickened out on posting the entire lemon in the last chapter but there's one in this one... Actually, this chapter is pretty much one big lemon with the revelation of a few crack pairings, so if you don't wanna read it, maybe skip this...

I blame you, Dhime... Your review inspired my inner pervert and pretty much this entire chapter! But now imma go hide with a bottle of wine from embarrassment!

And yay to having over 50 followers! You peeps rock my socks xo

As always, I have no claim to Fairy Tail - It's Hiro Mashima's brain child.

 **Chapter 34.**

Gray didn't know how long he'd been lying awake in bed that morning contemplating how much his life had changed in less than 24 hours.

He'd somehow regained the father he'd wanted back for the past fifteen years, but the knowledge that Silver had been alive and well for so long without seeking out his only son just didn't bode well. He wasn't sure how to feel about Amalie getting to have those fifteen years he'd missed out on. It wasn't fair of him to be jealous of her - she hadn't known. Hell, she hadn't even actually met Gray until twelve days ago, and he'd never even heard about her around the guild.

He'd also been forced into possession of a strange magic and, strangely enough, he wasn't even slightly annoyed about it. It had seemed to help his reflexes immensely when he had fought Silver, and the way he'd managed to avoid some hits had felt inhuman. His sense of smell was also improved. He hadn't noticed so much before due to the distraction of Silver and the pressure in his head, which had now disappeared completely. He could scent the impending storm, and whilst Amalie had smelt good to him before, she was now positively intoxicating.

 _I need to ask her what this means,_ he reminded himself.

The Ice Make mage opened his eyes and looked down at the copper haired source of warmth against his chest. They'd gotten back to Magnolia in the very early hours of the morning. He had been relieved that Laxus had decided to use his magic rather than catch the train with them.

He really couldn't be bothered dealing with the big blonde and was starting to get pretty pissed off about the overly possessive ways he acted around Amalie.

Gray hadn't protested when his mate suggested Silver stay with them. It made sense – _sort of_ – that he be around the princess as he had done for most of her life.

He had protested, however, when the Change mage had disappeared to do her usual crazy scouting of the city until four am, but knew her paranoia wasn't completely unfounded when he considered her past.

 _You know, 'cause she almost had her throat slit. And she was shot, and beaten senseless on numerous occasions._ Yeah, he definitely couldn't fault her for taking extreme cautions to keep those she loved safe.

"Stop thinking so hard," Amalie murmured, her soft voice laden heavily with sleepiness. "You'll hurt yourself."

She was curled up against him, legs tangled with his and her breath tickled against his throat. Her fingers traced light circles low on his spine.

He grinned at her barely awake teasing, pulling her closer and kissing the crown of her head, right over a scar on her scalp that he'd never noticed before. "Go back to sleep. It's still early."

Amalie hummed as she peppered his throat and underneath his chin with feather light kisses.

 _Is this what that dark guild master said when he called me her mate?_ he wondered as he was suddenly filled with undeniable contentment at her proximity and the physical affections she was lavishing on him.

The contentment rapidly flipped to arousal when he felt her teeth brush the sensitive skin over his collar bone. He growled before he could stop himself.

She giggled and sat up so she could straddle his hips, her palms resting against his chest. Her eyes had darkened in colour as she gazed at him predatorily. Gray smirked back and let his gaze trail hungrily down her body.

The Change mage had stolen another of his shirts to sleep in and the material was pulled tight across her chest. Lacy blue panties peaked out from where the hem had ridden up.

"Like what you see?" Amalie purred, leaning down to nibble his earlobe and nuzzle her cheek against his jaw.

Gray wrapped his arms around her and tried to roll them over so he could take charge. He had no qualms about ripping his shirt off her; Mavis only knew how many he'd actually lost because of his stripping habit over the years so ruining another one really wasn't a big deal to him.

Amalie stopped him.

"Not yet," she whispered. A shudder ran through his body as her breath tickled his ear and the sweet scent of her arousal met his nose. "I want to explore…"

She sucked on his bottom lip before trailing her lips down his neck and over his chest. Gray propped himself up on his elbows and watched her with rapt attention as she continued down before pausing at the waistband of his boxers. She glanced up at him, her previous confidence faltering briefly before she rubbed a hand over his obvious erection.

"I-I've never tried this before," she stuttered honestly. Gray said nothing. He didn't want to pressure her into doing anything she wasn't comfortable with.

 _But feeling her lips around my cock would be nothing short of fucking amazing._

Clumsily, Amalie pulled his boxers down so his hard on sprang free. She gripped his shaft gently, her inexperience obvious as she awkwardly pumped up and down.

The Ice Make mage reached down wordlessly and guided her movements; showing her what he liked from the many occasions he'd had to pleasure and relieve himself.

Gray closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of her soft hands on him.

 _If she keeps going like that, I'm not gonna last for long._

A surprised grunt escaped him when he felt a wet heat envelope the head of his dick. He looked down to see Amalie sucking on the tip.

"Am… Uh… That… That feels good," he managed to get out as his head fell back, eyes closing again as he concentrated on keeping himself back from the edge she was quickly driving him to.

Her responding giggle vibrated down his manhood and he groaned again.

Just as her lips slid from the tip down to the top of his girth, there was a tentative knock at the bedroom door.

 _No fucking way! Seriously?!_

"What?" he barked, praying Amalie would keep going as he felt his groin ache with its need for a release.

As if hearing his silent plea, her mouth slid lower as her hand started to gently pump at the base of his shaft. He barely bit back the noises she was encouraging from him as she sucked a little harder and stroked him with her tongue.

"There's people here from your guild looking for Milly. Is she awake?" his father's voice filtered through the hard wood.

 _At least he didn't just barge in here,_ Gray couldn't help thinking with some appreciation for the older man.

Amalie's green eyes met his, daring him to respond, and she held his gaze with an unblinking intensity. He felt his heart stutter as she slid her mouth back up his length.

 _Holy shit._ Gray felt himself grow even harder as he watched the erotic scene. She didn't break eye contact as she pulled her mouth off him completely, her tongue darting out and circling the head of his erection. This time, he couldn't stop the groan that erupted from his mouth.

"I'll tell them you're busy," Silver's voice had obvious amusement to its tone but Gray could hardly bring himself to care at all.

He reached down and buried his hands in Amalie's hair, pulling her up so he could claim her mouth with a hard kiss that was full of want and need. His entire focus was on the copper haired beauty in his arms and just how much he needed to feel her come undone around him.

.:*:..:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.

Erik lay on his stomach, once more alone in Lucy's bed. The Celestial mage had abandoned him to go and make coffee, throwing on a practically see through robe but neglecting to put any underwear on. He was certain he had her ass burned permanently into his memory.

Despite being thoroughly spent, he could feel himself already growing harder just thinking about what they'd started in the shower and finished in the bedroom. He'd been nearly certain she'd reject his advances and kick the shit out of him for being there.

 _I'm well and truly fucked,_ he thought as he remembered how she'd moaned his name and clung to him when he'd slid his fingers down between her lips in the shower, and how she'd arched her back so she rubbed against his impossibly hard manhood. He was pretty sure he bore evidence of her pleasure with the way her nails were digging into his shoulders and back while he was buried deep within her, but he couldn't bring himself to give two fucks about it. _At least now that fire fucker will have to acknowledge that she's mine._

 **I wonder what Levy-chan is doing today? I really do need to give her the new chapter of my novel. Oh, and go food shopping. And probably…**

"She's probably busy fucking Iron Ass," he interrupted in a lazy tone, eye remaining closed.

"Oh, wow… And here I was thinking you knew what was going on since you're a Dragon Slayer and all," Lucy teased him sweetly, her voice closer as she returned with the coffees. He felt the bed dip as she climbed up carefully and silently pressed the sole of one foot to his exposed back.

One incredibly cold foot.

"Sweet fucking Mavis!" Her soul hadn't given anything away to pre-warn him about the evil torture she'd been plotting. Erik positively _hated_ the cold. "Where the fuck have your goddamn feet been?! In a fucking ice bath?!"

"I thought you were supposed to keep your mate warm," she huffed with a pout that didn't quite hide the tiny curl at the corners of her plump lips.

 _Sneaky bitch,_ he thought with barely concealed amusement. It wasn't often that anyone got the drop on him like that. _But she called herself my mate._

He rolled out of her reach quickly as she threatened him with her other - _probably equally as fucking frozen_ \- foot with a cheeky grin plastered across her face. He was careful enough not to knock the blonde as she held the cups full of scalding water.

"Anyways, if you've finished being fucking evil… That midget's smells all over the rust bucket."

 _A Slayer's nose doesn't lie._

Lucy giggled again as she handed him one of the mugs. He sniffed it, picking up the sharp odour of floor cleaner that she'd added for him.

 _Could she be any more fucking perfect?_

"They _live_ together, but they're not _sleeping_ together. Gajeel's been sleeping with Cana for a while now, and I'm pretty sure Levy-chan has finally hooked up with Bickslow," the blonde explained as she sunk into the bed cross legged beside him.

"Who's Cana?" he demanded, trying to force the shit eating grin off his face as he noticed the dark love bites he'd left along her collar bones. _Match stick is gonna have a shit fit when he sees them._

"She's a Card mage. Tall, great figure, wears a bikini nearly every day."

"The drunk that was getting to grips with Queenie the other day?" he asked. The brunette he'd pulled off the Change mage hadn't smelt like anything other than the strong scent of alcohol, and he sure as hell didn't want to consciously scent out the Seith mage's dick on the tiny bluenette.

 _Speaking of dicks, I'd nearly give my other eye to be buried in her again. Fuck, she was tight! Shit. Get it under control, Cobra! You're behaving like a fucking pervert!_ He tried to rein it in as he felt his groin aching with renewed want for the Celestial mage.

"That would be her," Lucy confirmed, still focused on the previous gossip and blissfully unaware of his growing issue.

 _Fuck it. Let's see if she'll take the bait. That shit she was imagining in the shower was less than fucking innocent._

Erik reached over Lucy to put his now empty mug onto the bed side table, deliberately letting the sheets slip off his already barely covered body.

Without looking at her, he could hear that the blonde's soul stutter and smell a fresh wave of her delicious arousal as her attention became fixed exactly where he wanted it.

 _Perfect._

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.


	35. Chapter 35

Okay, so I got a side tracked from the actual storyline I had in mind, but Cana amuses the hell outta me with her drunken pervy ways... And the whole crack ship has me pretty damn entertained, too :)

Much love to reviewers (I'm looking at you Dhime and CColondam) and followers :) xx

As always, I own zilch parts of any aspect of Fairy Tail...

 **Chapter 35.**

It wasn't the best day in the world for the Fairy Tail Guild's resident Card Mage.

She'd woken up in a bed that was noticeably absent of the hulking dark haired man she'd been sharing it with for the past few months. Not that she really minded that particular morning when her hangover was shittier than average, because vomiting in front or within hearing range of the Iron Slayer wasn't particularly at the top of her things to do list.

 _And then I had to do that fucking reading,_ she grumbled to herself. _Goddamn it!_

The Card mage had first tried going to Lucy's when she'd finally been able to move out of the bathroom, but had gotten halfway through the window to discover the blonde _otherwise occupied_ , and the look the Poison Slayer had shot at her would have been enough to make even Guildarts wilt.

Still, she'd shamelessly surveyed the situation and leered back at Cobra before bailing back out the window before the Celestial Mage could see her and freak out.

 _He's gorgeous naked. Who knew those muscles were hidden under all those clothes he normally wears. It must be some kind of fucking prerequisite that all Slayers must be fucking sex on legs. I mean, even Natsu… With that pink hair and_ those _abs… Holy shit. If he wasn't like my little brother I'd have jumped his bones years ago._

Her feet subconsciously carried her in the direction of the Ice Make mage's house where she knew her second best option resided.

 _Cause she probably knows even more about goddamn Slayer magic than Lu…_ she reasoned as she stepped up onto the porch. She raised her hand to knock but the door disappeared before she could make contact with it. Cana started and stared up at the older man that had opened the door. "Oh, you're new!"

 _He kinda looks like Gray but his family's dead, right?_ She was certain she knew the answer and racked her brain for a recollection of that conversation that was lost somewhere in the haze of years of alcoholism.

"Gildart's offspring, I presume?" the stranger at Gray's door asked.

"What? How…" Cana knew the Crash mage was certainly popular, if somewhat feared due to his Natsu-times-a-thousand level of destruction, but it wasn't common knowledge that the Card mage was his daughter.

"None of your concern," he interrupted, moving out of the doorway. "Princess Amalie is in the kitchen."

"Wow. She'll kick your ass for using her title," Cana scoffed as she rolled her eyes at him and moved in the indicated direction. She knew her friend hated honorifics and the formalities that went with being a member of a royal family. The Card mage had deliberately pushed the boundaries when they'd first met, complete with theatrical (slightly unsteady and definitely clumsy) curtsies, and it was only after they'd come to physical blows over the teasing that they'd tentatively progressed to drinking buddies and then become actual friends.

Cana smirked at the memory of it and looked around as she walked. She'd never actually been to Gray's house before, and was surprised by the tasteful but minimalistic décor. It felt bare but comfortable.

The girl Cana sought was leaning against the benchtop, coffee mug in hand and effortlessly beautiful in an oversized button up shirt and messy hair.

 _I don't wake up looking like that. Bitch._

"So your new butler is an uptight dick," Cana noted dryly, gaining the other girl's attentions.

"Drunkie! What are you doing here?" the Change mage greeted her as the Card mage buried her face in her friends' cleavage under the guise of a friendly hug.

Cana was most definitely straight, but there was something about other women's boobs that got her every time.

The brunette heard Amalie sniff her neck and stiffened. "Hey! Quite sniffing me, you weirdo. You're hot and all but I don't do girls. I'm all about the D."

"Are you actually sober?"

 _Shit. I forgot she could smell as well as them. Aw well, here goes..._

"I've been getting these total bastard hangovers lately but I don't think I've been drinking any more than usual, and it's been a couple weeks now so I did a reading on myself this morning and these two kept coming up," Cana rambled her voice rising several octaves before finally taking a breath as she thrust the two cards she held into Amalie's face.

 _The Wheel of Fortune and the Ace of Cups. The Devil would have been so much better than this bullshit._

"I… I don't know what they mean," the copper haired girl looked from the cards to the Card mage in confusion. "And keep your voice down. Gray and Silver aren't deaf, you know."

"These two cards mean unplanned pregnancy. That mother fucker bit me and now I'm fucking pregnant!" she whisper yelled. She watched as Amalie's frown deepened.

"Hang on… Who bit you?" the other girl demanded. She placed her mug on the counter and dragged the brunette closer to her, grabbing her chin roughly so she could inspect the Card mage's neck. "How many times?"

The mark, like a fine silver lace, delicately ran the length of Cana's left collarbone and had been obscured by her hair.

The Change mage hissed when she finally found it.

"Does it really matter, Am?" Canna asked plainly. She was starting to feel annoyed at the lack of explanation from the other girl, and sobriety in general. She wanted to see Gajeel, but wasn't ready for that conversation yet. _Or fucking ever. This is bullshit! I'm on birth control!_

"Yeah, it kinda does. That fucker hasn't told you anything, has he?" Amalie shoved her left wrist in front of the brunettes face. "What can you see, Cana?"

The Card mage blinked then her eyesight focused on the golden jag that adorned Amalie's slender forearm. It looked patchy; almost as though it had been cut out in places but there were no evident scars.

 _That kind of looks like…_

"Wait… Is that...?" Amalie's hands covering her mouth stopped the rest of the sentence from falling out. Subtlety never had been Cana's strongest suit.

"Not here!" she hissed. Her reply pretty much confirmed Cana's suspicions.

 _What. The. Fuck!? Her and Laxus? No fucking way!_

"Gray? Silver? I'm heading out for a bit," the Change mage yelled, dragging the brunette back in the direction she'd come in. The princess was apparently completely oblivious to the fact that she was only wearing a shirt and panties as she snatched her bow and quiver up from where they sat beside the front door.

 _Guess the stripper's habits are rubbing off on her,_ the Card mage thought with a smirk before curiosity again got the best of her. "Why is your mark so fucked up? And when the hell did you fu…"

"Cana!"


	36. Chapter 36

Hi everyone :) Sorry about the delay - I was having a major brain fail!

Thanks to CColondam and ImpracticalDemon for you reviews! Mwah!

More to come soon (I hope. I've written tons of crap down and kinda lost it. Same with my summary notes. So oops if there are plot/timeline inconsistencies - I'll deal with them later).

So without further ado, here's the update. I've taken inspiration from RaivynGrimm with random tagline/summary chapter names :) Her story "Sparky and Blondie" is hilarious (and a bit naughty so if you're not into smutty comedy, then you're definitely missing out!).

As always, I take zero credit for Hiro Mashima's brain child (and holy shit... How epic has the manga story line gotten?!).

Peace out :)

 **Chapter 36 (or "Silver finally comes clean at an inappropriate moment, and Erik isn't always a total asshole.")**

"When were you planning on telling me?" Gray's voice was soft and coloured by the betrayal he felt. He watched his father slumber in the seat across from them but his question was directed at Amalie.

 _Ugh… I feel too shit for this,_ she grumbled to herself as she fought off the nausea induced by the motion of the train. _Now I know why Slayers hate these fucking hell boxes._

"It wasn't for me to tell," the girl finally snapped back when she was certain it was only going to be words that would come out of her mouth. She shifted irritably in her seat, trying to find a comfortable position for her wounded shoulder. She finally found one and leant her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes.

They were on their way back from a job hunting a guild that had been causing a problem for the local townspeople.

It would have all gone well if Silver, in all his eternal wisdom, hadn't deemed it appropriate to tell his son he had mere weeks to live while they were under the first waves of attack. In his defence, he probably hadn't anticipated that the Ice Make mage would freeze dead in place as he processed the information.

Amalie had had to act quickly when she'd heard the all too familiar sound of a bow string tightening, and had pushed Gray from the path of the archer.

Unfortunately for her, it also meant catching the arrow meant for the Ice Make mage's heart in her shoulder.

The force of the off centre hit had sent her spinning, and she'd only just managed to liquefy the arrow before she hit the ground.

The fight had been far from pretty after that, but they'd ultimately succeeded with only a few deaths.

 _And they took the 'burial' fees out of our reward... Seriously, they should have just burnt them and been done with it. I would have even lit the bonfire for free._

"That arrow was poisoned," Silver noted in a bored tone, not bothering to open his eyes.

"No shit," Amalie grumbled. She'd known as soon as the half arsed piece of timber hit her and practically splintered on impact.

A good arrow with a proper steel point would have put a hole in her shoulder blade.

"Poison?" That caught Gray's attention and he finally looked over at her. Despite his obvious annoyance, he reached out to rest the back of his blissful cold hand on her forehead. She sighed and leaned into his touch.

"I wasn't going to tell you," Silver finally admitted, still a picture of arrogant peace as he spread out on the seat across from them. "I actually had no intention of even coming back to Fairy Tail with you."

 _Ouch._

"Then why don't you just leave now?" Gray's question was as brutally honest as Silver's previous answer.

The elder Fullbuster finally opened his eyes and looked over at his son. "Because you're going to learn Ice Devil Slayer magic before I die. It'll be my final gift to you."

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 _A few hours later..._

"How dare you!" Amalie shrieked.

Erik watched in amusement as the woman leapt from the infirmary bed before his blonde mate could stop her, and shoved Laxus hard in the chest. She'd been brought in unconscious by the stripper and had only recently woken up.

Her current ire was all thanks to Laxus growling at the Poison Slayer for sniffing her wound and tasting a drop of blood while he tried to ascertain what she'd been inflicted with.

 _ **What the fuck?!**_ Confusion swirled through Laxus' soul at her strike. _**What is her issue? Must be that time of the month...**_

 _Baka really doesn't get it, does he?_ Erik wondered absently. He pushed his magic to get a reading on Amalie, but her soul just swirled with a heavy red haze of anger that blocked out everything else.

Neither of them noticed that the Ice Make mage had returned and was standing in his boxers in the doorway, observing their altercation with a carefully guarded gaze.

"We had a deal! But then you… You marked me and fucked off, you asshole!" The Lighting Slayer moved back barely a step on the first hit but she persisted, shoving him with all she was worth to punctuate each sentence. "Do you even know what that's like?! I was trying to escape Sera just to get trapped by you! Then you fucked that whore as loudly as possible... When I came back to confront you! So stop with the fucking growling! I am not yours! You made that decision! It was all on you! And I've made mine! I love Gray!"

None of this was news to Erik, but judging by the Ice Make mage's furious, and then forcefully empty, expression she hadn't had the 'previous partners' discussion with him yet.

The Change mage was gasping for breath and finally noticed her mate's scent. She turned slowly from the blonde behemoth, face ashen at the realisation he'd probably heard everything.

"Gray… I can explain..."

"It's been a long day," his tone was as icy as his magic. "I need some space to process everything that's happened."

Amalie nodded slightly, soundless tears sliding down her cheeks, before he shook his head and walked back down the hallway.

She doubled over, dry reaching as the poison again made itself known. A slight dribble of blood ran from the corner of her mouth.

"I'll go and talk to him," Lucy finally murmured as she recovered from the shock, giving Erik's hand a quick squeeze before slipping out after her friend.

Her soul shone with compassion and worry… and hope.

 _Always so much fucking hope._

Erik found himself wondering again just why she'd chosen an arrogant asshole like himself.

 _The sex,_ he decided. It had to be that. He fell short at all the other parts that really mattered. The image of Lucy in one of her many scant lingerie sets rose to the forefront of his mind and he felt the inevitable stirring in his pants.

"Kitten…" the mollified lightning slayer's whisper brought Erik back to the situation at hand.

He watched as the smaller mage blindly swatted Laxus' hands away as he reached for her, his face creased with concern.

 _Ah shit. Better get onto that before she actually dies. I'll eye fuck Jugs later when I'm done._

"Back up, asshole. Let the doctor through," Erik ordered calmly as he reached the Change mage's side.

Pure, unadulterated fury flooded his fellow Slayer's soul as the Poison Slayer scooped Amalie up with the intention of depositing her back on the infirmary bed and finally removing the poison that was contaminating her body. She, however, had other ideas when Laxus let out a very audible snarl of displeasure and fought fruitlessly to attack him again.

"Queenie." Erik used his serious voice, the one he knew Amalie would actually listen to. It embodied authority and obedience; all the things that she, as a soldier of sorts, had grown up to respect. "Calm down. That poison needs to come out before it kills you and then you can go back to bodily harming the Electric Neanderthal until your little heart is content."

She settled quickly, purposefully ignoring the displeased noise Laxus let out before he stomped from the room, and turned tearful emerald eyes up to stare at him.

The anger in her soul was replaced with a drowning black despair.

"But Gray…"

"Leave Jugs to deal with him, alright?" Erik tried to soothe. He knew his bedside manners were shit, but his shakily pathetic attempt at reassurance seemed to work.

She nodded slightly and her soul sung out with the the tiniest splinter of hope that paled in comparison to what his blonde beauty always seemed filled to the brim with.

 _Maybe I should take her out to go kill shit after this. She likes hunting, so that'd work right? Fuck women are hard… So many fucking emotions and shit…_

Erik focused on the poison removal. It was less of a headache than trying to actually work out how people's minds worked.

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	37. Chapter 37

***Sorry, not a new chapter! Just had to fix a few grammatical errors that I forgot about!***

Hello again :) Yep, somehow I'm back with another chapter *already*... I'm not sure how great it is but I laughed while I was writing it.

Figured I needed to clear up some Gray/Am/Laxus triangle (can you call it that?) crap so this is the result... I figured I'd make her do something relatable - like spiral a little and get drunk with the girls. I'm sure everyone's done it. Not sure about the Gray POV but meh. It's midnight and I have work in the morning so I can fix it later if I feel the need.

Thanks to ImpracticalDemon for your review, and to everyone following xx

Anywho, goodnight people! Hope you enjoy!

P.S Hiro Mashima owns FT (obviously)

 **Chapter 37. (or "Cobra plays babysitter")**

Gray was roused from his fitful sleep by someone banging at the front door.

"What the hell?" he muttered sleepily, glancing at the lacrima. It's dull green glow read seven minutes past three in the morning. He'd only been asleep for two hours.

He silently counted to ten, hoping Silver would take care of the late night intruders, but when the door across the hall failed to open he dragged himself out of the bed. He pulled on a pair of boxers and made his way down the stairs.

 _This had better be good…_

"Hurry the fuck up!" A male voice barked from his doorstep as they bashed at the timber door again.

The Ice Make mage pulled the door open without bothering to check the peep hole to find the tanned Poison Slayer standing there.

He had Lucy propped up under one arm and Amalie supported with the other.

"I believe this belongs to you," Cobra told him dryly, releasing the grip he had on the copper haired girl.

The Ice Make mage was still too half asleep to react as she stumbled forward and tripped over the inch high lip of the doorframe, face planting at Gray's feet with a metallic clank and an undignified, "Fuck."

She lay there bonelessly under the pile of weaponry she had strapped to her back. Her soft snores were barely audible.

"So...?" It was really too early, or late, for Gray to be dealing with this. He really needed his sleep and the taller man just stood there like he was waiting for him to say something. "Thanks?"

"Queenie and Jugs and the crazy red head drank a fair bit. Nearly as much as that drunk used to drink by herself."

 _Cana wasn't drinking? Weird... And Erza? She wouldn't…_

"Oh, yes she would," Cobra argued. "No idea where the fuck she went, though, but I pity the poor bastard who finds her naked ass in the morning. And that shit with the Lightning fucker… I know you're pissed about it but just fucking talk to her."

Gray had had a similar conversation with Lucy earlier, but the blonde clearly had much less of a detailed insight into the crazy that was the princess' life than the Slayer did.

"I'm not…" he trailed off, finishing the thought in his head. _Entirely sure what to do in this situation. Goddamn it! Why did Silver have to come back? And why did she have to be with that stupid fucking blonde egotist first?_

"Calm your farm, popsicle," Cobra's voice cut through his rapidly angering thoughts. His amethyst eye regarded him thoughtfully. "It was like a year and a half ago. Her sleeping with the blonde egotist. Or him fucking her. Whatever way you wanna look at it."

"Not. Helping," Gray seethed. He hated feeling so ignorant to what looked like a blatantly obvious truth.

Amalie had slept with Laxus.

He should have known from the Lightning Slayer's obsessive behaviour and her obvious familiarity with him. And it was probably a couple of times, too, because it took more than one bite to 'mark' someone. He knew that much. Being around so many Slayers meant you learnt things about their magic.

 _Even that poison prick knows about that shit! They all kept it from me! Probably fucking laughing about it behind my back!_

"Wrong." Again the Poison Slayer pulled him from his own furious thoughts, and he glared up at him.

"Explain."

The maroon haired man gave him a wolfish grin. "Depends on the intent behind the mark as to how many times it needs to be done."

"What?" That new information confused the Ice Make mage. It went completely against what he'd been told by Gajeel and Natsu. "Intention matters?"

"Yep, but I've gotta get Jugs home before she vomits on my shoes."

The blonde in his arms mumbled something and groaned. Her hand swung useless at him in a weak attempt of a slap and the Poison Slayer chuckled as he tweaked her nose.

The last time Gray had seen her that drunk, she'd been rubbing against Natsu and purring like she was a kitten before passing out in the bath at Christmas.

"Right," the Ice Make mage replied awkwardly. He still wasn't entirely sure what to do with the Change mage passed out on his doorstep, and on one of his feet, and his conflicted feelings. He crouched down beside her and started unbuckling her sword. _First things first, I guess..._

"Careful when you take her boots off," Cobra advised over his shoulder after he'd scooped Lucy up and started walking away. He must have picked up on Gray's confusion because he added helpfully, "She hides fucking knives everywhere."

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There was a long list of times when Amalie regretted waking up.

Most of those instances were immediately after she'd been concussed, knocked out or had fought hard the day prior. Only a handful of times were thanks to excessive drinking.

 _This makes being poisoned yesterday feel like a fucking tea party,_ she moaned to herself as she curled into an even tighter ball in an attempt to soothe her poor head and stomach. Her shoulder complained loudly at the movement and she groaned out loud.

She'd spiralled yesterday after the confrontation with Laxus. She felt she deserved it having kept it together during both her parents and little brother's deaths. She'd remained strong during countless torture sessions at the hands of Seraphina.

 _So I totally deserved to get black out drunk and throw away all the fucks I had to give, right?_

The look of rejection and sadness on Gray's face had ripped painfully as her soul and as soon as Erik had removed the poison, she'd assumed her place at the bar.

Fortunately - or perhaps unfortunately, depending on how everyone else was feeling that day - Erza and Lucy had taken pity on her, although that had evolved into drinking games, brawling and Erza losing her clothes.

Just like she did every time she got drunk.

 _How the fuck does she even manage that? She's a Requip mage, for Mavis' sake... And I sure as shit didn't see her use her magic. She ripped them off with her bare hands._

She felt a weight settle on the bed beside her and the blanket was tugged gently back. She scrunched her eyes closed in reflex of light assaulting her sensitive eyes but Gray, in his usual considerate way, had left the curtains drawn.

"I got Mira's hangover cure. You smell like a bar," he murmured. There was no residual anger or hurt in his tone.

 _He just sounds tired._

"Gray..." Amalie's voice rasped as she carefully opened her eyes to see the Ice Make mage. He held a clear glass of something so disgustingly green, it should have been illegal. Gingerly, she reached out for it as she pulled herself up.

"I find it works better if you block your nose and chug it 'cause it tastes worse than it looks," he advised.

She quickly did as he said, dry heaving a little from the aftertaste but managing to keep the contents of her stomach down.

Hazy memories of the previous night greeted her clearing head.

"I'm sorry. Erik insisted on bringing me here. I was going to stay on Lucy's couch but he didn't want to deal with three drunks."

"Two," Gray corrected, with a smirk. "He lost Erza."

Amalie barked out a laugh as she recalled that the redhead had been pretty insistent on going mud wrestling. Both herself and Lucy would have gone along with it if the Poison Slayer hadn't reached his drunk babysitter tolerance and forced them home.

She also seemed to recall high fiving the Fire Slayer in the face and destroying one of Laxus' prized coats in anger.

 _Eh, I'll deal with that later._

"So..." the Ice Make mage broke the silence. "Wanna... I dunno... Talk about the crazy shit that went down yesterday?"

"Only if you can cope with honesty because I won't lie about whatever it is you ask me," she tried, and failed, to keep her voice from wavering. There were so many bad parts to her past that she was certain he would judge her on.

"The sleeping with the storm cloud thing."

 _Ouch. Ok, so we're jumping right in there._

"I was going to be sold to my sister's husband's brother and kept in yet another castle filled with magic supressing lacrimas and raped so I would bear him heirs," she gave the brutal answer without making eye contact. "Virginity is a dangerous thing to possess when there's money involved. If you're not pure, then you're not wanted for royal marriage, and you get to live another day."

Gray's face paled considerably at that statement. She was certain he'd never considered that she may have been in the same boat as Lucy when she'd run away to join Fairy Tail.

They'd discussed the brutality of 'being a proper woman' in that fucked up elitist world in some detail the previous evening and both agreed, albeit drunkenly, to watch each other's backs from that moment on.

"But... Why Laxus?"

She took a moment to consider his question. "I was infatuated by him at the time. I thought he could help me escape but he just ended up caging me again because he was gone the next morning when I woke up."

"And now?" Gray dared to question. His voice was barely audible.

"There's nothing. I love you, Gray Fullbuster," she stated with more surety than she'd ever felt in her short life. She met his dark blue eyes confidently. "I'll stay until you make me leave."


	38. Chapter 38

**So this chapter wasn't what I'd originally written but I had a random ass dream and this is the outcome of the story's new direction... Seraphina will be making an appearance soon in all her unhinged glory. A main character will die. I'll probably get flames for it but meh. Last part of this chapter is a bit... I dunno. I'm not thrilled about it but it's late and I have work in the morning :/**

 **Anywho, sorry for the lack of updates... New job, catching up on study, life in general, insert other excuses here etc etc**

 **I don't own any part of Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima is the evil genius behind my obsession with FT fanfics *shakes fist at him*. The manga has me on edge atm. Anyone else having that issue?!**

 **Chapter 38. El Presidente Lucy**

Makarov was a man of many plans.

Many of them weren't really well thought out, nor ethical, but this newest idea definitely surpassed the skimpy bikini competition he'd had the wisdom to hold during the past summer when he'd nearly died of a nose bleed four women in.

This idea was twisted and kind of cruel; it had all the ingredients for an entertaining afternoon for the newest Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail. He deserved some fun after spending the morning barely concealing his amusement about an incredibly hung over Lucy, who was convinced she was dying, until the ice prick had turned up with a revolting green smoothie the devil woman had whipped up.

 _And now shit's getting weird,_ the Poison Dragon Slayer sighed to himself as an image of Erza Scarlett in a string bikini invaded his brain. He couldn't deny that the red head was hot, but she was also bat shit fucking crazy and that was something he would never be stupid enough to touch. _And she kinda scares the shit outta me._

"Your Guild master is one fucked up unit," Erik noted with a wince as he struggled to force the rapid fire contents of Makarov's bikini wank bank out of reach of his soul hearing... After a quick scan to make sure Lucy wasn't featured in any of them, of course.

"He's your guild master now too, you know," his gorgeous blonde mate reminded him with an angelic giggle, not noticing the giant sweat drop that appeared on Cobra's face.

"Not by choice," he muttered, turning his attention back to the glass of bleach and beer in front of him.

"Listen up, brats! I have an announcement to make!" the aforementioned pervert screamed as he mounted the bar.

 ** _What did I miss?_** Amalie asked as she flopped onto the bench beside Erik. The stripper slid into the seat beside her, predictably shirtless and covered intimately in the Caros princess' scent.

The Poison Slayer leered at the raven haired Ice Make mage, who studiously ignored him, over Amalie's fairy floss pink head. She'd physically dyed her hair that colour again so as to 'magic proof' on the off chance they encountered more anti-magic lacrimas. Wendy still hadn't returned from her mission so a thick white bandage covered the wound on the Change mage's shoulder.

Erik tapped at the Change mage's leg, trying to communicate the shit that was about to go down. She batted his hand away with a glare before turning her attention back to Fairy Tail's Master.

 _ **I can't understand you, baka,**_ she sighed. _**If you grope me again, I'll stab you.**_

Erik grinned, knowing full well that she probably would because Mavis only knew what she was hiding under her clothes weapons-wise, and ducked his head to Amalie's ear. "There's gonna be an all out brawl to decide the two captains for the Games."

She turned her face up to look at him with a mischievous smirk and raised eyebrow. _**Lucy for president?**_

"Hey! I said listen up!" Makarov screamed, his face turning a beautiful shade of red that gave Cobra a sudden hankering for poppies. Opiates had always been a favourite of his.

Everyone finally gave him their attention and he calmed himself down before continuing. "As you all know, it's that time of year again and I've thought of a brand new way to pick team captains for the Grand Magic Games!"

"Oh yeah! I'm all fired up!" Natsu screamed, lighting his corner of the guild on fire with his enthusiasm. There was a brief moment of chaos until the fire dissipated.

 _I can't believe that walking fire hazard has actually made it into adulthood. But then again, jellyfish have been around for millions of years and don't have a brain so I guess that gives him hope of immortality,_ Erik mused. He'd never been able to get a clear reading on his fellow Slayer, everything was always spasmodic and irrational or revolved around food. _God help the human race if that prick lives forever._

"Quiet down!" Makarov shouted, growing scarily gigantic before shrinking again when he had regained order. "As I was saying, this year we will choose captains differently. Freed has just finished writing runes to protect the Guild from any structural damage, so I will run through the rules and then we can begin. This will be a battle to the final two. You can't use magic or weapons."

"Define weapons," Erza commanded, standing up. "Because my clothes are magic and weapons. Are you suggesting I have to fight naked?"

Erik winced as the memory of the naked Requip mage resurfaced in his memory from the previous evening, and was grateful the Master hadn't been there to see it. He really didn't want to re-visit Makarov's wank bank again. Like ever again. Once in a lifetime was more than enough.

"Can criminals be captain?" Erik interrupted, knowing full well the answer was already no but needing to make sure Makarov was successfully detoured away from thoughts of female nudity and off the fast track to Pervert-ville.

"Goddamn it! No magic! No knives, swords, arrows, guns and hammers! No using anything that will physically maim or harm another person!" the diminuitive Master yelled, his face turning an interesting shade of purple this time. "You can kick the shit out of each other and brawl like normal people!"

Cobra was fairly certain that if he kept screaming like that, Makarov would shit himself by accident. And that was something no one really needed to witness. Or smell.

"The bar is a safe zone! If you don't want to play, then get your asses behind it because the battle begins now!"

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Lucy was surprised by how quickly everyone moved.

 _The last time I ever saw people react like this was when there was an open bar,_ she thought incredulously.

She watched as Cana leapt the bar, already knowing the Card mage was more interested in drinking than fighting in the GMG, and Macao was quick to follow. Cobra sat beside the master at the bar and they looked to be placing running bets.

"Don't hesitate," a feminine voice she knew far too well from brutal mornings of training hissed at her. Emerald eyes met the Celestial Mage's bewildered chocolate gaze with a vicious smile as she sunk her fist into Natsu's stomach. Lucy almost felt bad for her fiery friend, but he'd charged pretty recklessly and left himself wide open as he did with most things in life. "Get up to the rafters and kick the shit outta Bick's again. He's hiding up there. You haven't been training for nothing."

Lucy nodded with determination and took off up the stairs, dodging flying bar stools and bodies with a practiced ease that came from being a member at Fiore's rowdiest Guild. She chanced a glance back at where she'd been standing to see Amalie and Gray back-to-back, fighting off others as if they'd been partners for years instead of weeks.

 _I'm glad he's happy,_ she thought as she pulled herself up into the rafters. _He deserves it._

Lucy caught sight of Bickslow right away. He was crouched on a beam a few meters away with his back to her, watching the fight below. She snuck up as quietly as she could and gave him a less than gentle shove in the back with her sneakered foot. He spun as he rose and Lucy had to move back quickly to avoid his ridiculous cape from jeopardising her balance.

"If you show me your tits, I'll let you hit me," the Seith mage offered, lolling his tongue out. Below them, a growl was audible from the bar and the Celestial Mage didn't;'t have to look down to know Cobra was glaring up at them. "Not like you have your spirits to help you, Cosplayer."

"Who says I need my spirits to beat you?!" the blonde bit back. "And you might want to check your food for poison every day after this."

He chose that moment to feint at her, and she stumbled back out of habit.

 _Be calm. Breathe. Plan. React,_ Lucy recited in her head. _Just like practice._

"Really think you can beat me?" the much taller man chuckled, faking another punch that she didn't even try to avoid.

 _He doesn't know I've gotten better at hand-to-hand combat. I need to play it up that I'm weak without my spirits._

She looked down uncertainly. They really were a long way up and the rafters weren't all that wide.

"Scared of heights, Cosplayer?" Bickslow teased, creeping closer.

"I'm not a fan," she admitted quietly.

He took another step closer. Unfortunately for him, he'd gotten just within her range thanks to his cockiness.

Lucy took full advantage of it, using a burst of speed that he didn't know she had to knock him off balance with her shoulder before kicking his legs out from under him. He fell from the rafters, but landed in a crouch behind the bar.

Lucy swore the man was part cat. He always seemed to land on his feet.

"Bickslow is OUT!" Makarov announced.

There didn't seem to be many people left in the race for captain-ship, and the area behind the bar was beginning to look incredibly crowded.

Most surprisingly, the blonde noticed that Erza and Amalie were calmly sitting on bar stools chugging beers and nursing growing lumps on their heads.

 _They're so evenly matched they probably knocked each other out at the same time!_

"Great work, Luce!" a male voice called out to her. The Celestial mage looked down from her perch to see Gray grinning up at her as he gave her a thumbs up. She smiled back and waved, before noticing a shadow looming behind him. "Gray! Watch out!"

The Ice Make mage barely had time to turn before he was felled by a single punch courtesy of Laxus.

"And this years GMG captains are Lucy and Laxus!"


	39. Chapter 39

**Oh, hai :) Here's the newest chapter... Going with the GMG theme since it seems a bit more dramatic than what I was going with.**

 **So without further ado, here's some Laxus angst and Silver fight training.**

 **Special thanks to all my followers, peeps who have favourited this brain fart, and anyone who's left reviews - you're all wonderful! Mwah!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail :(**

 **Chapter 39. Surprise! It's GMG team selection time!**

Laxus stood on the guild stage with his grandfather and Lucy, waiting for the old man to finish his ramblings so they could choose their teams for the Games.

They'd already been delayed long enough waiting for the people that had been knocked out to be roused by whatever godawful smelling concoction Mirajane had whipped up.

The big blonde had been surprised when Lucy had claimed the other captain position, though he suspected Amalie and the criminal had something to do with it.

 _No fucking way could she have improved that much in a few weeks, even with Kitten coaching her. Not without using her magic,_ he thought with a scowl.

The Celestial mage's first choice for her team was as he'd predicted. "Marley."

Laxus had allowed her to choose first. Or more accurately, he'd just grunted when Gramps suggested it.

He knew he wouldn't get the Caros princess on his team. She'd refuse him anyway, with the same determination she'd been employing to avoid him ever since the _incident_ in the infirmary the day before last.

 _Stupid fucking bleach breath sniffing at her like that._ He suppressed a growl at the memory of the other Slayer touching what he wanted desperately to claim, despite her being involved with someone else. He simply couldn't let it go.

"Erza," Laxus growled out. He didn't intend on messing around and even though the red head was unpredictable, she was incredibly powerful.

"Gajeel."

The Lightning Slayer raised an eyebrow at this, carefully keeping his face clear of any other emotion. He knew the little blonde couldn't hold a grudge, but he couldn't have predicted her actually wanting to team up with him.

 _Guess she still ain't talking to Natsu. Wonder what that cinder block did to finally push her away..._

"Ahem… Laxus? It's your turn," Makarov interrupted his musings.

The big blonde eyed off his grandfather with mild annoyance before speaking. "Mirajane."

"Wendy."

 _Fuck. Forgot about half pint. Dammit. Guess maybe I should consider..._ "Natsu."

He winced when he realised he'd verbalised that thought. He hadn't actually meant to say it out loud.

There was a surge of heat as the Fire Dragon Slayer pumped his fist in the air. "Yeah! I'm all fired up!"

Lucy studiously ignored her ex-teammate as she made her next selection. "Gray."

"Elfman."

"Freed."

Now that was a surprise to Laxus. He hadn't expected her to choose one of his own. He side eyed her as he considered his remaining options.

Bickslow was a strong contender, as was Evergreen, but he couldn't choose one without the other complaining about it forever.

He was pretty sure Cana was knocked up and desperately trying to hide it so she was out, too. _Besides, Rusty Balls woulda tried kill me if I chose her._

"Levy," he finally decided. It made sense to have the Solid Script mage as the final piece. They'd grown up together at the guild and she could go toe to toe with Freed if it came to it.

"Well, that's it brats!" Makarov yelled, a grin taking over his face. "Team training starts tomorrow! You've got a month!"

Laxus grunted at him and turned on his heel to stride out of the Guild before his new team could get in his way.

He was pissed off that he hadn't gotten what he'd wanted, and he was angry that she had moved on before he'd figured it out. But most of all, he was furious at himself for abandoning her in the first place.

He needed to go fry a forest before he lost control of his magic and fried Fairy Tail. Again.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

 _Fifteen days._

That was all he had left to teach his son the magic that had taken him years.

 _I should have found him sooner. Kallee was always so certain he had survived Deliora's attack but I didn't dare even hope,_ Silver berated himself as he watched Gray run laps with his busty blonde friend and the Princess of Caros.

He threw a random magical attack at them - just to keep them on their toes - and was quietly proud of their reaction time.

The Ice Devil Slayer actually had to move to avoid their retaliating attacks - a giant hammer of ice, a couple of throwing knives and some arrows from the blonde's horse spirit - which in itself was an incredible improvement on yesterday paltry effort. When he'd attacked the first time, the Celestial mage had fallen flat on her behind and Gray had only barely managed to avoid it due to the Hunter magic kicking in at the last possible second.

"Such a dick move, Silver!" Amalie was laughing as they finally reached the finish line. She ducked down to retrieve the knives and secured them back into her belt. "So what are we doing today, Slave Master?"

"Teach her how to use a bow properly," the elder Fullbuster grunted after regarding the blonde for a few seconds. "She's okay, but her posture is sloppy. Then do some boxing. Left hook needs work."

"Hey! I have a name you know!" Lucy exclaimed indignantly, pouting at him. " _She_ is not..."

The Princess of Caros slapped a hand over the other girl's mouth to stop the rest of her rant and smiled apologetically at the Demon Slayer. "We'll be off, then."

Silver just raised an eyebrow and nodded curtly.

"If you talk back, he'll make us both do push ups and then laps until we drop," he could hear Amalie whispering as she dragged the Celestial mage away.

He turned his attention back to his son, who was, rather disturbingly, almost void of clothes. "What happened to your pants, Gray? Your mother didn't raise you to be a nudist."

He could tell immediately that it had been the wrong thing to say. It wasn't that he was trying to upset his son, he just hadn't thought about the consequences of his wording until the younger man's face flashed briefly with hurt.

"I wouldn't know," the Ice Make mage muttered darkly. "Clothes, no clothes. It doesn't really matter."

Silver quickly brushed it off. He didn't have time to repent for all his sins, or the many years he'd been separated from his son. He had the here and now, and that would have to suffice. There was simply just no point dwelling on what could have been.

 _Not when I only have fifteen days left in this life._

He smirked at his progeny.

"Keep your jocks on, son. There are some things that just don't need to be seen."


	40. Chapter 40

Sorry for the delay, peeps! Didn't realise 4 months had passed! WTF?! Anywho, I got engaged over Christmas and now wedding planning and my 2 courses and working full time is occupying nearly every second of my life! And the chapters are about to get sad and there's an impending major character death... And I got major writer's block to boot! It's nearly midnight, this hasn't been beta'd, try not to be too harsh...

Well, here goes! Please no flames! Mwah xxx

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail... If I did, I wouldn't be working my ass off in the real world!

 **Chapter 40. Here comes the drama**

The warmth of the hot spring was positively glorious as it touched the tired blonde's muscles.

 _The only thing missing is Erik,_ she thought as she sunk down to her neck in the water with a contented sigh.

The past four days had been positively brutal under the elder Fullbuster's guidance. He'd pushed Lucy to her physical limits with fight training, and then her magical ones too - by making her open two golden gates while she ran laps. Her endurance was increasing slowly and so were her skills in unarmed combat, but they were still nothing compared to the Fullbusters. They'd had years, not days, to hone their skills.

 _And Gray's grown up fighting Natsu_ , she reasoned. She was proud that she had endured the torture with minimal complaint having learnt quickly that speaking out meant extra reps and more laps.

The blonde wanted to be stronger more than she wanted to be comfortable.

She couldn't help but feel a little envious as she peeked over at her pink haired companion. The other girl leaned against the edge of the spring, arms folded and head resting on them, looking every bit asleep.

The Change mage had seemed to thrive on the pressure from the Devil Slayer, getting faster and more agile as the days had progressed. Watching her fight was like watching a dance; her movements were fluid from years of repetition and her sword work was rivalled only by Erza. She'd even worn magic suppressing cuffs when she fought Gajeel and won with ease, having dodged everything he'd thrown at her before knocking the Slayer out with a swift kick to the head.

"Does it get any easier?" Lucy asked softly. There was a pregnant pause and the blonde wondered if the princess was actually sleeping.

"It'll get harder before it gets better," Amalie murmured nonchalantly, not even bothering to open her eyes. "We still have three weeks and three days until the games."

 _Holy shit... I'm going to die of a heart attack while I'm running. Or maybe an aneurysm from fighting. Can you die from blisters getting infected?_ she wondered. Wendy was returning the following day, so that probably wouldn't be a cause of death. _Erik had better have a nice eulogy written for me. I want to be buried with my parents. Maybe in my cheerleader costume?_

"The bunny costume's hotter, Jugs," an amused voice interrupted her mental catalogue of costumes she owned. Without turning, she felt the water shift behind her to allow for the newcomer. "That blister on your palm is gross as fuck but you ain't dying 'cause of it."

Calloused hands slid up her back to her shoulders, gently kneading at the tense muscles. Lucy closed her eyes and leaned into his blissful touch. He'd been fairly generous when it came to massages in the last few days, but not so generous as to actually train with them. He'd been busy doing... Well, whatever it was that Erik did for the 6 hours a day they were being tortured.

"Torture's a bit extreme, Jugs," the Poison Slayer laughed. "And I eat and nap and shit. There's fuck all on telly and I can't take a job without one of you going on it, too."

"I hate you right now, Cobra," the Celestial mage muttered, mood darkening at the thought of him lazing around while she was sweating her ass off. _I hope you get fat, douche bag._

"Get a pair of fingerless leather gloves and tape it up," Amalie advised, finally turning to face the couple. She seemed unperturbed by their closeness as she regarded them carefully. "You gonna fill me in on what we actually do at these games?"

Lucy opened her eyes and met the vibrant green ones. "They always start with a team event to determine the top eight teams, then they have other events that test your magical senses, then there's one-on-one and tag team battles."

The Change mage's eyes sparked with interest. "And how many other Slayers are there, again?"

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Cana wasn't entirely sure how to take the news.

It had been confirmed by Porlyusica and the Card mage was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. _Definitely pregnant. Shit._

And now she had to break it to Gajeel.

Would he be happy? Pissed off? Would he run? Did he even want a baby? Hell, she wasn't even sure that she wanted one.

She did, however, really want a beer but that was apparently out of the question for another seven and a half months. The old witch had been pretty insistent about that little aspect of the Card mage's life. Not that Cana had been drinking much lately, anyway. She'd been pretending to drink, too scared that anyone besides Amalie would find out and blab to Gildarts. Or, worse still, Mirajane.

Cana loved the Demon Takeover mage to death, but keeping secrets just wasn't the barmaid's strong suit. Especially when it was a baby bombshell like this.

 _Quit overthinking it! You're his freaking mate. He marked you - he's not leaving you!_ The more rational part of her conscious yelled back at her.

 _But I'm going to get fat and boring,_ the brunette argued. _Oh, Mavis! Dad's gonna kill me when he finds out! But mate is as good as marriage, right?_

Cana remembered with a wince the drunken 'birds and the bees' talk Gildarts had subjected her to a good many years too late when he'd finally found out she was his daughter. She would truly die of embarrassment if the old man decided to repeat that conversation in any shape or form to the Iron Dragon Slayer.

She shook her head, resolving to just get it out of the way before anyone else found out and blabbed.

"I thought you smelled funny," a deep voice interrupted her musings.

Cana yelped and flinched away from the big blonde dragon slayer who'd apparently appeared out of nowhere. "Fuck you, Laxus! I hate it when you do that! What are you? A fucking ninja?"

"Not my fault you don't pay attention to your surroundings," he replied, smirking at her obvious discomfort. "So what's wrong with you?"

"It's none of your business!" the brunette snapped. She tried to push past him but it worked as well as trying to move a boulder. "Move."

The blonde crossed his arms in front of him. "Not til you tell me what's going on. You've been sober and faking drunk. I wanna know why."

Cana shook her head. They'd never been close, even as children. He'd always been a little intimidating - especially after he'd gotten the lacrima implant - and despite improvements to his personality in recent years, she still just didn't entirely trust him.

She knew that he and Gajeel shared an almost friendship - they looked out for one another without making it too well known around the guild. The only reason Cana had found out was because Laxus had dropped by uninvited after the Iron Slayer had been badly injured on a mission.

"Lady issues," she all but snarled, hoping that would deter him. She couldn't deal with him today, not after the B bomb got dropped on her not thirty minutes ago. She glared up at him, daring him to question her.

A strange look crossed the Lightning Slayer's face, almost an understanding, but he moved to the side and let her pass without another word.

"Iron dildo just left the training grounds. Should be home by now."


	41. Chapter 41

Okay, so I wrote the chapters after this but have struggled to do the 'filler' chapter to sort of wrap everything up with Silver. Call it writer's block or panic monster kicking in so I finish my course assessments within the next couple weeks (anyone who's even slightly guilty of procrastination needs to google Tim Urban's Ted Talk: Inside the mind of a master procrastinator).

And I've also chucked in a few nods to some of my favourite characters over the next few chapters. Top points to whoever picks them out and knows the author/series :)

I don't have a Beta so oopsies if there are any discrepancies etc. Impending character deaths and I've decided I'm pretty rubbish at smut so there won't be anymore of that for a while! Sorry this is a short chapter and it's taken so long to post!

As always, here's the disclaimer that I own fuck all to do with Fairy Tail (except my OC's). Hiro Mashima is the mastermind behind it all.

 **Chapter 41.**

Breakfast wasn't exactly the ideal time to broach dark subjects and impending death. From what Amalie had observed, the Fullbusters were quiet men - unobtrusive most of the time and unwilling to bring up or discuss uncomfortable subjects.

Like this one. _No time like the present, though,_ the Change mage reasoned as she looked over at the Fullbuster patriarch sitting across from her at the dining room table. Gray sat beside her, one hand resting on her knee as the other shovelled bacon into his mouth in a moderately appalling manner that had her wondering if he was even bothering to chew. _At least he's not a noisy eater. I'd have stabbed him by now if he was, no matter how much I loved him. Dammit - don't get sidetracked!_

"I hate to be that person... But we need a plan, Silver," Amalie blurted out, deliberately keeping her tone business-like to hide the fact that beneath her unflinching facade her heart was breaking all over again.

Silver had been the father figure in her life since her mother had saved him. Her father had always been busy with his royal duties, so the Ice Devil Slayer had taken it upon himself - having believed that he had lost his own child - to wipe the youngest princess' tears and keep her secrets. He'd trained her hard and protected her as best he could from Seraphina. He'd even played along and made her believe he'd switched sides so he could find a way to protect her. He was all she had left of her childhood. _And now he has eleven days left to live._ "Do you want to be buried beside Mika or outside Caros? Because Isvan is a three day walk, but Caros... Even if I use Gahltha it'll take a week carrying both of you."

"There's nothing left in Isvan!" Gray argued, finally distracted from his breakfast. His fingers gripped painfully down on her leg subconsciously in frustration. "I went there and there was nothing! It was like we never existed!"

Amalie met his angry glare with an apologetic smile. "It's hidden. You have to have the right intentions to find it."

"Milly overextended herself," Silver reminisced with a smirk. "Kallee wanted her to clear the rubble from over me but her magic was still fairly untamed. She emptied her magic containers when the magic latched onto everything linked to the stone she touched and accidentally turned the whole village into a sea of feathers. All I remember was white and then I woke up in Caros."

"Mother's men created a memorial. There's a rather complex cluster fuck of runes over the entire place that protects it from anyone who doesn't know what it is - and it wards off any redevelopment or settlements," the Change mage explained. She slid her hand over his, hoping he wouldn't pull away from her attempt at comfort and that he'd realise the bruising hold he had on her. The Ice Make mage's fingers relaxed slightly and after a few beats, he twisted his hand to link their fingers. His calloused thumb absently rubbed the back of her hand.

It hadn't been a deliberate decision to keep the memorial from him - it had just never come up in conversation. He'd never mentioned trying to find it, or even wanting to.

"It's actually quite beautiful," Amalie whispered. She'd been there a number of times with Silver over the years. He'd done the trek every year on the anniversary of Deliorah's attack to pay his respect to the dead.

"I'd like to see it," Gray's voice was soft.

"I'd like to see it one last time, too," Silver agreed.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.

Gajeel was incredibly pleased with himself. So incredibly pleased he couldn't wipe the shit eating grin off his face to maintain his usual snarky demeanour.

Cana had finally come clean about her pregnancy - and not even the swift punch that she'd landed square on his jaw when he admitted he'd known all along could dampen his mood.

 _Damn tiny fist nearly hurt, too. Thank fuck I didn't tell her all the other slayers already know,_ he thought as he pulled the Card mage closer into his side. She made an indignant noise and dug her elbow into his ribs - a move that only served to tickle him rather than cause any pain. "Gi-hi-hi! You needa try harder if ya wanna hurt me, drunk."

"Keep it up and I will castrate you while you sleep, asshole," she growled back. "You're the reason I can't fucking drink."

Gajeel chuckled and pressed a swift kiss to the crown of her head before moving to avoid her fist. She was surprisingly quicker when she was sober.

.:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:..:*:.


	42. Not an update (sorry!)

Thanks to everyone still following this - it warms my little heart to see the follows and favourites this has garnered xxxxx

Unfortunately, have had a hard time lately with a family member getting the dreaded C (Skin cancer that turned into bone cancer, so wear sunscreen and hats kiddies) and then passing away, so understandably updating this hasn't been my priority!

I am trying to update this fic - I've written chapters for after the GMG opening game and the chapter after, but am kinda stuck with the GMG and Silver chapter/s. If you have any ideas, I'm open to suggestions so please message me anything you have :)

Illy xo


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